Funding Mechanism or Quality Assessment: Responses to the Research Assessment Exercise in English institutions
- 1 November 2001
- journal article
- other
- Published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management
- Vol. 23 (2) , 171-179
- https://doi.org/10.1080/13600800120088601
Abstract
During the last two decades, higher education in the UK has been dominated by two themes: financial constraint and quality assessment. Both these themes find expression within the Research Assessment Exercise. Findings from interviews held with staff in a number of institutions ranging from established research-orientated universities to institutions with aspirations of university status indicate a range of institutional and individual behaviour patterns in response to the Research Assessment Exercise. This article explores those responses and considers the perceived tension between using the Research Assessment Exercise as an assessment of the quality of research (an accountability function) and as a means of selectively allocating research funding (a resource allocation function).Keywords
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