Thursday 9 July 2015

The Metric Tide: Report leader to present a new agenda for responsible indicators in research

A talk by James Wilsdon
Professor of Science & Democracy, Science Policy Research Unit, University of Sussex

October 13th, at the Institute for Leadership and Sustainability (IFLAS), University of Cumbria, Lancaster Campus.

Citations, journal impact factors, H-indices, even tweets and Facebook likes – there are no end of quantitative measures that can now be used to assess the quality and wider impacts of research. But how robust and reliable are such indicators, and what weight – if any –should we give them in the management of the UK’s research system?

Over the past year, the Independent Review of the Role of Metrics in Research Assessment and Management  has looked in detail at these questions. The review has explored the use of metrics across the full range of academic disciplines, and assessed their potential contribution to processes of research assessment like the REF. It has looked at how universities themselves use metrics, at the rise of league tables and rankings, at the relationship between metrics and issues of equality and diversity, and at the potential for ‘gaming’ that can arise from the use of particular indicators in the funding system.

The review’s final report, The Metric Tide, was published 9th July 2015. In this open lecture, Professor James Wilsdon, who chaired the review, will outline its findings, and propose a more responsible agenda for the use of metrics in research management and policy. 

A discussion on the implications of Professor Wilsdon's talk will be hosted by Professor Jem Bendell, founder of the Institute for Leadership and Sustainability (IFLAS). Academics, students and stakeholders in research from across the North West are welcome.

Hugh Pollard Lecture Theatre
University of Cumbria, Bowerham Road, Lancaster, LA1 3JD
13 October 2015, 5:30-7:30pm

To register for this free Open Lecture, please contact: iflas@cumbria.ac.uk

Read about the report in the THES.
Discuss implications for applied research for social progress, in the IFLAS Sustainable Leaders discussion group.

Discover more about the Institute at www.cumbria.ac.uk/iflas

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