The nature of publishing and assessment in Geography and Environmental Studies: evidence from the Research Assessment Exercise 2008

Keith Richards*, Mike Batty, Kevin Edwards, Allan Findlay, Giles Foody, Lynne Frostick, Kelvyn Jones, Roger Lee, David Livingstone, Terry Marsden, Judith Petts, Chris Philo, David Simon, Susan Smith, David Thomas

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We present a summary of the kinds of outputs submitted to the Geography and Environmental Studies sub-panel (H-32) for the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), and examine the relationships between the peer assessment of research quality that the RAE process has typified, and alternative modes of assessment based on bibliometrics. This comparison is effected using (in aggregate form) some of the results from the RAE, together with citation data gathered after completion of the RAE assessment, specifically for the purpose of this paper. We conclude that, if it continues to be necessary and desirable to assess, in some measure and however imprecisely, research quality, then peer assessment cannot be replaced by bibliometrics. Bibliometrics permit measurement of something that may be linked to quality but is essentially a different phenomenon - a measure of 'impact', for example.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)231-243
Number of pages13
JournalArea
Volume41
Issue number3
Early online date10 Aug 2009
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2009
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geography, Planning and Development

Keywords

  • Bibliometrics
  • Outputtypes
  • Peer review
  • RAE

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