Futility

The UK RAE 2008 results were released on the 18th. The R, A and E stand for Research, Assessment and Exercise respectively and (according to their website) it is "the principal means by which institutions assure themselves of the quality of the research undertaken in the HE [Higher Education] sector."

Except it isn't.

It's a great big pain in the arse. A white elephant. It's a white elephant in the arse. And that's a lot of pain.

Though I do like the inclusion of the words "assure themselves" in that statement. It's like admitting that universities are neurotic narcissists and noone else cares.

It happens like this: the research funding councils (HEFCE, SFC, HEFCW and DEL - I'd link, but their sites aren't very exciting) ask the universities to submit details of their research staff, how many papers they've produced and where they're published, how much research money they've generated and other bits and pieces (see here for the thrilling details). The universities go to their departments and say "Oi, make us look good or else we cut your budget for leather elbow patches and comfy chairs". The heads of departments lean on the academics to produce reams of output (neglecting their research and teaching activities in the meantime) and then HEFCE and their friends get to tot up all the information by subject area and tell the university how good they are by department.

My favourite part of the results is the following quote from news section of the website.

The results demonstrate that 54% of the research conducted by 52,400 staff submitted by 159 universities and colleges is either 'world-leading' (17 per cent in the highest grade) - or 'internationally excellent' (37 per cent in the second highest grade).

Taking the top three grades together (the third grade represents work of internationally recognised quality), 87% of the research activity is of international quality. Of the remaining research submitted, nearly all is of recognised national quality in terms of originality, significance and rigour.

Of course 87 % is of international quality! They funded it. They're not going to say, 'sorry fellas, we thought that it was a bit poo this time, try harder'! The remaining 13 % is a bit worrying though isn't it? Especially considering universities don't have to submit all their staff and can keep the rubbish ones locked away in broom cupboards until after the submission date.

Other fun effects of the RAE include not being able to get a job. Before the submission date universities strategically hire people with lots of nice papers in good journals. After the submission date you can't get a job for love nor money as they're bloated with staff and no one wants to hire until after the results are out. This is because the RAE determines how much money the university, and hence department, actually gets. If the score should be bad it can lead to closures of whole departments. I timed the end of my last post doc with this wonderful doldrums, which lasts for many months until the results are actually out.

This could get me onto a rant about post doccing in general (we don't count for the RAE), scientific publishing and all sorts of lovely, blood-boiling subjects. But I shall resist and end with the best explanation of the RAE procedure that I could find. Via MicrobiologyBytes.