Metric Tide - Research England

"The Independent Review of the Role of Metrics in Research Assessment and Management was set up in April 2014 to investigate the current and potential future roles that quantitative indicators can play in the assessment and management of research. Its report, ‘The Metric Tide’, was published in July 2015 and is available below....

The review identified 20 recommendations for further work and action by stakeholders across the UK research system. They propose action in the following areas: supporting the effective leadership, governance and management of research cultures; improving the data infrastructure that supports research information management; increasing the usefulness of existing data and information sources; using metrics in the next REF; and coordinating activity and building evidence.

These recommendations are underpinned by the notion of ‘responsible metrics’ as a way of framing appropriate uses of quantitative indicators in the governance, management and assessment of research. Responsible metrics can be understood in terms of the following dimensions: 

• Robustness: basing metrics on the best possible data in terms of accuracy and scope
• Humility: recognising that quantitative evaluation should support – but not supplant – qualitative, expert assessment
• Transparency: keeping data collection and analytical processes open and transparent, so that those being evaluated can test and verify the results
• Diversity: accounting for variation by field, and using a range of indicators to reflect and support a plurality of research and researcher career paths across the system
• Reflexivity: recognising and anticipating the systemic and potential effects of indicators, and updating them in response...."