Editing the REF

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is the UK’s national assessment exercise which evaluates the research quality and impact of the nation’s higher education institutions. REF takes place every seven years, with the most recent results published in 2022.

By providing an assessment of the quality of UK universities’ research output, research environment and the impact of research on society, industry and the economy, REF results inform the allocation of UK government research funding and allow universities to identify areas for improvement.

REF 2021 reported results in 2022 (delayed by a year due to Covid) and found that over 80% of research submitted by UK universities was rated as either world-leading or internationally excellent. This is a significant increase from the previous REF exercise in 2014, where this figure was 76%.

There were also improvements in research impact, with 87% of research submitted shown to have a significant impact beyond academia in areas such as healthcare, the environment and social policy.

The Academic Edit were delighted to partner with City, University of London to provide extensive editorial support on REF environment statements, documents which show how well research is embedded and nurtured within a university.

With a deep understanding of REF requirements and a thorough knowledge of their specialist areas, our expert editors were able to help academics ensure their statements were clear, concise and compelling, thereby maximising their impact and overall quality.

Get in touch if you would like to find out more about our editing services and see how we can help you.