What is REF in the UK?

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a research impact evaluation of British higher education institutions. It is the successor to the Research Assessment Exercise and it was first used in 2014 to assess the period 2008–2013.

What do REF results mean?

One star. Quality that is recognised nationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour. Unclassified. Quality that falls below the standard of nationally recognised work. Or work which does not meet the published definition of research for the purposes of this assessment.

What is a 4 * REF publication?

4* Quality that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour. 3* Quality that is internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour but which falls short of the highest standards of excellence.

What is academic REF?

When applying for postgraduate study, you may be asked for an academic reference. This is a reference provided by an academic member of staff who can comment in detail on things like: the quality of academic work you have produced, including your module grades. whether you have submitted work on time.

What is GPA in REF?

What we call ‘research power’ is the overall quality of our submission (the ‘grade point average’ [GPA]) multiplied by the full-time equivalent (FTE) number of researchers submitted.

What publications count for REF?

Output types eligible for submission Outputs eligible for REF are categorised into the following broad types: books (or parts of books) journal articles and conference contributions. physical artefacts.

What is the purpose of the REF?

To provide accountability for public investment in research and produce evidence of the benefits of this investment. To provide benchmarking information and establish reputational yardsticks, for use within the HE sector and for public information. To inform the selective allocation of funding for research.

Who can be my academic referee?

Your academic reference should be a teacher you have taken a class from or worked with in another academic capacity like a research assistantship, an academic internship, etc. For students very early in their careers who have only taken large lecture classes, this can be challenging.

Will there be a REF 2028?

Although no announcements have yet been made about how and when any future REF exercise may be run, our working assumption for the purposes of this strategy is that submissions will be due in 2027, with results announced during 2028, and that the REF rules on outputs, impacts and ratings will remain broadly as now.

In which year will the next UK REF take place?

2021
The REF is the UK’s system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. It first took place in 2014. The next exercise will be conducted in 2021.

What are the three areas assessed by REF?

For each submission, three distinct elements are assessed: the quality of outputs (e.g. publications, performances, and exhibitions), their impact beyond academia, and the environment that supports research.

Can you use a lecturer as a reference?

You can use teachers and lecturers as references though. You won’t typically have to provide references until you have been offered a job, and then the employer will post you a reference sheet for you to fill in the contact details of your references.

Can a teaching assistant be a reference?

Teaching Assistants are Not Preferred Letter Writers Consider the purpose of the recommendation letter. Professors offer a perspective that graduate student teaching assistants cannot.

What is a 3 star paper?

Quality that is internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour but which falls short of the highest standards of excellence. ** Quality that is recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour.

Can my teacher be my referee?

Yes, you can put college teachers as references (as long as they know you and have known you for a while of course).

Who are suitable referees?

The best people to be your referees are:

• former employers, especially a mentor or boss.
• your teacher/lecturer/tutor.
• your PhD supervisor or examiner.

Does a TA count as a professional reference?

While a letter from a TA is not helpful, a TA might provide information and details to inform a professor’s letter. The TA may know you better than a professor in charge of the course, but is the professor’s word that has more merit. Speak with the TA and the professor to request a letter signed by both.

Can teachers be a referee?

Referees may include but are not limited to people such as classroom teachers, executive staff, principals, education consultants or advisors, teacher educators, specialist or itinerant staff, members of the community and representatives of external organisations. School students cannot be referees.

Can I put a lecturer as a reference?

Who can give a teacher a reference?

Your reference will normally be written by your line manager or head teacher as they have the most direct experience of your abilities, skills and work. The referee may also be someone other than your most immediate manager if the prospective employer is requesting confirmation of an area of specialisation.

Is the pgcei a valid teaching qualification abroad?

A PGCEi is an online version of the PGCE and as such it is not accepted by some Ministries of Education who do not yet support online-only education as equivalent. We recommend you research the requirements in your target countries abroad to determine if the PGCEi will be accepted as a valid teaching qualification before investing.

Why do schools in different countries have different policies for teaching?

Sometimes schools have different licences so you will find variability between countries and schools and to make matters more complicated, it may also depend on the unique relationship the school has with the local government or Ministry of Education. Some countries have very strict policies, whereas some are flexible – depending on who is asking.

Can I teach abroad as a new teacher after graduation?

Many teachers look to teach abroad immediately after graduating and ask if they can do their probationary year or NQT (newly qualified teacher) year abroad. The answer actually lies with your home country’s government policy on teacher education and training.

Do I need teaching experience to teach in international schools?

Many Ministries are now requiring that teachers hired to teach in international schools have significant teaching experience before being granted a visa, and the number of countries with these types of requirements is rising.