“Academics should be ‘very careful’ in the conclusions they draw from the research assessment exercise about the quality of research in their disciplines, the chair of an assessment panel has warned. The results of RAE 2008 will be published in full in Times Higher Education on 18 December. They will determine the allocation of more than £1 billion a year in research funding and establish a new pecking order for research excellence. But a chair of one of the 15 main RAE panels this week told Times Higher Education that academics could expect some “amazingly poor” showings in subject areas in which the UK was actually very good. Impressive showings are also likely in areas where the UK is relatively weak …” (more)
[Zoe Corbyn, THE, 4 December]