Academics call for a fairer research assessment

Medical academic staff have called for the research assessment exercise (RAE) to be fairer and more representative. At their annual conference last week the representatives declared that the use of impact factors was a totally inappropriate method of assessing medical research and called on the BMA to examine fairer alternative methods.

The RAE takes place every four years, and its aim is to measure the quality of research across all higher education and determine central funding for academic units in Britain. The assessment is based on peer review, including examination of published research and information about numbers of research students and research income during the assessment period.

The Medical Academic Staff Committee has criticised the exercise since its inception because of emphasis on research at the expense of teaching and service work. The 1997 Dearing report into higher education recommended a review of the exercise and the Higher Education Funding Council for England has set up a task force.