How many outputs do I submit?
Each eligible member of staff has to submit 1 - 5 research outputs, which:
1) They produced or co-produced
AND
2) First became publicly available between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2020.
The total number of outputs per Unit of Assessment is calculated: total full time equivalent (FTE) x 2.5.
Each eligible staff member can submit between 1 and 5 outputs to make up the UOA’s total pool of outputs.
Outputs are assessed in terms of their originality, significance and rigour.
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Reduced outputs
REF recognises that research is produced at different rates and that an individual's circumstances may have affected their productivity. The total pool of outputs for each Unit of Assessment may be reduced if staff have individual circumstances, which affected their ability to undertake research. For example:
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Periods of family-related leave.
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Secondment outside of higher education.
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Illness or disability.
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An early career researcher.
ref
REF definition
Early career researcher = a member of staff who meets the definition of eligible staff on 31 July 2020, who started their career as an independent researcher on or after 1 August 2016.
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HEIs can submit staff members without any outputs but only in very exceptional circumstances. For example, in circumstances which prevented staff from undertaking research for 46 months or more during 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2020.
Staff who moved HEIs after 1 January 2014
Outputs may be submitted by both the new HEI and the institution where they were employed when the outputs were first made publicly available.
Eligible staff who leave an HEI, including retired staff, can submit up to 5 outputs. Outputs are required to have been first made publicly available when the institution employed the staff member.
Double-weighting
Submitting HEIs may request that outputs of extended scale and scope be double-weighted (counted as two outputs) in the assessment. Institutional requests for double-weighting must be accompanied by a statement of up to 100 words explaining how the scale and scope of the output justifies double-weighting.