The REF or Research Excellence Framework is the UK’s system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. It took place in 2014 and 2021. Previous exercises were called Research Assessment Exercises or RAE, these ran between in 1986 and 2008.
The next REF exercise is planned for 2029.
REF 2029 will see several changes compared to REF 2021. The emphasis of the assessment will be at institutional and disciplinary level, moving away from individual level, minimum output submissions will be removed, and the minimum number of Impact case studies has been reduced to one. Some elements of the REF 2029 framework remain subject to consultation and further decisions on REF 2029 are expected later in 2024. Find out more about REF 2029 here.
For further information about REF2029, please contact ref@abdn.ac.uk
- REF 2029
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Find out more about REF 2029 and onging Research Assessment at the University of Aberdeen
- REF 2021
- REF 2014
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The page contains key information relating to the REF2014.
REF2014 - The UK REF2014 was the largest assessment of University research in the world.
- 76% of the University's research has been rated 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent' in the Research Excellence Framework (REF2014)
For additional information on the REF2014, please visit the HEFCE REF2014 website.
REF 2014 Results Table of Results
The full results for the University's submissions are listed below.*
Arts and Social Sciences Unit of Assessment FTE Category A staff 4* 3* 2* 1* U 16
Architecture, Built Environment and Planning
10.4
39
47
12
2
0
18
Economics and Econometrics
19.25
3
51
37
9
0
19
Business and Management Studies
13.3
31
42
25
2
0
20
Law
23.4
15
49
33
3
0
21
Politics and International Studies
11.2
7
43
37
13
0
23
Sociology
13
14
58
28
0
0
24
Anthropology and Development Studies
11
23
35
37
5
0
25
Education
9.6
8
59
29
4
0
28
Modern Languages and Linguistics
22
21
41
26
12
0
29
English Language and Literature
21.5
31
62
7
0
0
30
History
24
26
44
29
1
0
32
Philosophy
13.25
31
31
20
18
0
33
Theology and Religious Studies
19
29
39
24
7
1
35
Music, Drama, Dance and Performing Arts
11.36
15
51
23
8
3
Life Sciences and Medicine Unit of Assessment FTE Category A staff 4* 3* 2* 1* U 01
Clinical Medicine
54.3
25
42
31
1
1
02
Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care
47.5
34
47
19
0
0
04
Psychology, Psychiatry an Neuroscience
20.6
29
65
6
0
0
05
Biological Sciences
89.42
30
53
16
0
1
06
Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science
20.4
56
36
8
0
0
Physical Sciences Unit of Assessment FTE Category A staff 4* 3* 2* 1* U 07
Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences
28.4
18
71
10
1
0
08
Chemistry
20.2
14
66
20
0
0
10
Mathematical Sciences
23.1
14
62
24
0
0
11
Computer Science and Informatics
19
22
52
26
0
0
15
General Engineering
38.6
12
70
18
0
0
16
Architecture, Built Environment and Planning
10.4
39
47
12
2
0
17
Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology
13.4
13
53
32
2
0
*Results downloaded from http://ref2014tool.analytics.elsevier.com/overall/internal_results
REF 2014 Results Analysis Tool is developed by Elsevier Analytical Services, part of Elsevier Research Intelligence Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reservedExcellence Performance Scotland Excellence Performance
Top in Scotland for Performance
(4*+3* research ratings combined)
- 1st in Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care
- 1st in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences (Geology and Geosciences)
Top in Scotland for Impact
- 1st in Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care
- 1st in Business and Management
- 1st in Chemistry
- 1st in Divinity
- 1st in Geosciences
- 1st in History
View examples of the University's impact
UK Excellence Performance
Top in the UK for Performance
- 1st in Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science (Soil and Environmental Science)
(4*+3* research ratings combined)
- 2nd in the UK for English Language and Literature
- 3rd in the UK for Psychology and Psychiatry
- 5th in the UK for Architecture, Built Environment and Planning (Property and Transport)
UK Outstanding Impact
For the first time research was rated in terms of real world impact.
- 85% of all submissions rated 'outstanding' or 'very considerable' for impact (4*+3*)
- 1st (joint) in the UK for Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science (Soil and Environmental Science)
- 2nd in the UK for Business and Management Studies
- 2nd in the UK for History
What was Assessed? The REF2014 assed three key research areas, as follows:
- Research Outputs (65%)
- Research Impact (20%)
- Research Environment (15%)
The most important of these wss the assessment of research outputs. Each academic member of staff who is selected for submission will normally have to provide four research outputs for inclusion. These were assessed by the sub-Panels. Approximately half of the sub-Panels (mainly in the STEM subjects) took into account the citation counts of the submitted research outputs to inform their decisions. Assessment of research outputs accounted for 65% of each submission’s overall quality rating. The citation counts wereprovided to the REF panels via Scopus, and refered to the research outputs submitted.
After the research output element of the assessment exercise, the non-academic impact of research is the next most significant area to be assessed. This was also assessed by Unit of Assessment, via submission of a pre-determined number of “impact case studies” (number of case studies varying dependant on FTE per Unit) and by assessing how the research environment and research strategy within each Unit supports and facilitates non-academic research impact. The assessment of research impact was new to the REF2014 and accounted for 20% of the overall quality profile within each Unit.
The research output and impact elements of each submission was accompanied by a narrative which described the research environment of each Unit of Assessment. The “research environment” element of the assessment accounted for 15% of each submission. The research environment element assesses research facilities, research strategy, research metrics, career development opportunities, with particular emphasis on early career researchers and postgraduate students, and on equality and diversity issues.
For further information on how submissions were assessed, please access;
- The REF2014 Assessment Framework and Guidance on Submission Document
- The REF2014: Amendments to the Assessment Framework and Guidance on Submissions Document (January 2012)
- The Full Panel Criteria and Working Methods documentation (which also details variations between assessment criteria by Main Panel)
Alternatively, these documents are available on the HEFCE website.
What do the Quality Ratings Mean? For the overall quality profile for each Unit of Assessment the quality ratings are as follows:
Rating
Definition
4*
Quality that is world leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour
3*
Quality that is internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour but which falls short of the highest standards of excellence
2*
Quality that is recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour
1*
Quality that is recognised nationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour
Unclassified
Quality that falls below the standard of nationally recognised work. Or work which does not meet the published definition of research for the purposes of this assessment
For each of the three elements of the assessment – outputs, impact and environment – sub-panels will develop a sub-profile, showing the proportion of the submission that meets each of four starred quality levels.
- View the assessment criteria and the definitions of the starred levels for the sub-profiles
How did the University Select Staff for Submission? Final decisions on the selection of staff for submission to the exercise were made by the institutional REF2014 Steering Group, in consultation with the Colleges. The REF2014 Steering Group has overarching responsibility for managing and coordinating the University’s submission to the REF2014. Decisions on inclusion for submission will be based entirely on research quality.
In making decisions on inclusion, the University, via the REF2014 Steering Group, adhered to its internal REF2014 Equality and Diversity Code of Practice, as required by the Funding Councils. The University's REF2014 Equality and Diversity Code of Practice was approved via the University Court at its meeting on 6 December 2011 and was submitted to the national REF2014 Team (HEFCE) for formal approval.
- Download a copy of the University's REF2014 Equality and Diversity Code of Practice, as submitted to the REF2014 Team.
Key Documentation Please find a number of documents key REF2014 below.
- Assessment Framework and Guidance on Submission
- Full Panel Criteria and Working Methods
- HEFCE Decisions on the Assessment of Impact
Impact Related Links:
In order to access the additional documentation on Impact listed below, as released by HEFCE following the Impact Pilot Exercise (2010);
- HEFCE Impact Pilot Exercise Expert Panel Findings.
- Feedback from the Higher Education Institutions Involved in the Pilot.
- Examples of impact case studies best practice, as submitted to the pilot exercise
Please visit the following link: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/rsrch/REFimpact/
- RAE 2008
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The University's research excellence is reflected in the results of the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008.
World Leading
- 89% of Aberdeen’s research activity is of international quality and 55% is world leading or internationally excellent. (4* and 3*)
- All of our 33 submissions have activity rated as world leading or internationally excellent
1st in the UK
- 1st for Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies
- 1st equal for Health Services Research
Outstanding Performance
Almost three quarters of our staff were submitted to units where at least half of the research activity was rated as world leading or internationally excellent (70%+)
- Computer Science and Informatics (70%)
- Health Services Research (80%)
- Other Hospital Based Clinical Subjects (75%)
- Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies (80%)