Where are university websites hiding all their research? | Higher Education Network | Guardian Professional

abernard102@gmail.com 2013-01-13

Summary:

"Research is fundamental to a university's reputation, ranking and – with the introduction of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) – future funding, but are UK universities really doing enough to promote and inform the public of the research they do? When scouring through university websites in search of their latest developments and projects for the launch of our new research round-up, Research in brief (RIBS), it became increasingly apparent this information was not always easily accessible – to those outside the realm of academia at least. Glossy bulletins and public lecture leaflets still land on our desk, but where is this research information to be found online? University webpages that do publicise their institution's latest research are often uninviting or unimaginative in format, listing titles of research papers that have not been updated for months, or even years in some instances. Some universities fail to provide access to online information about their research at all. Are universities investing the necessary time, money and energy in effective communication of their research? Is this information accessible through the university's internal systems, if not published in the public domain? And for research that is publicly funded, do universities have a moral obligation to promote this work through accessible means to show its worth and benefit to society? 'We are all 'research-led' universities now – except when it comes to marketing purposes,' says Peter Reader, director of marketing and communications at the University of Portsmouth. He cites the tension between recruitment and research, and the limited funds allocated to marketing and communicating research, as two of the key issues face when attempting to promote this work. The website is now arguably the most important piece of marketing collateral for any university, says Reader, citing a study conducted by the University of Edinburgh that found students continue to choose universities based on reputation rather than the quality of teaching and cost. 'Research power or weakness', he says, carries real influence on student recruitment. With the forthcoming REF creating competition among institutions for the allocation of research funding, universities that have not been proactive in communicating their research are beginning to step up their game..."

Link:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/blog/2013/jan/10/research-communications-uk-university-websites?CMP=twt_gu

From feeds:

Open Access Tracking Project (OATP) » abernard102@gmail.com

Tags:

oa.new oa.comment oa.universities oa.impact oa.prestige oa.funders oa.colleges oa.ref oa.marketing oa.hei

Date tagged:

01/13/2013, 09:20

Date published:

01/13/2013, 04:20