News – The hidden REF

Shaking Up The Status Quo: The Hidden REF Festival And The 5% Manifesto

Imagine a REF that recognises the contribution of everyone involved in the development and realisation of research – the technicians, the Research Managers, the non-academic gatherers of data? You may not have heard of the Hidden REF, but this small group, which started in 2020, has influenced the quite revolutionary change to REF 2028 rules that…

Opposition to changing the REF shows why change is needed

Universities shouldn’t have to ask what a good research culture looks like, says Gemma Derrick. The UK university sector is exhausted. We are suffering a hangover from Covid-19 and industrial action. There is a rising murmur that researchers and their institutions are bruised and now is not the time for change. On top of this…

Hidden no more on the Code for Thought Podcast

Peter Schmidt from the Code for Thought podcast visited the Hidden REF and recorded a special episode about the Festival and our work. In the podcast you can hear from some of our guests and some of the committee members who talk about the Hidden REF and its goals. Listen to the podcast

How can the Festival of Hidden REF influence REF 2028?

How can the Festival of Hidden REF influence REF 2028? The research landscape is changing, yet current research assessment practices have failed to keep up. The way in which research is judged overlooks many of the people who are vital to its success. We must find a way to celebrate non-traditional research outputs, the people,…

UK HEIs must embrace the REF’s invitation to improve research culture

The new REF rules are welcome, but change will only truly occur if institutions finally get over their obsession with publications, says the Hidden REF committee in a new article for Times Higher Education. Read the article (behind a paywall) at Times Higher Education.