Science of Science

Program Evaluation
commentary
The Future of REF: Driving a Culture to Maximise High-Quality Research and Impact
Catriona Manville, Camilla d'Angelo, Susan Guthrie
Dec 14, 2021
Wonkhe
To understand the impact of the Research Excellence Framework, RAND Europe studied the attitudes of the United Kingdom's research community towards the assessment. Through surveys, interviews, and focus groups, the study team was able to gain valuable insight into researcher views across disciplines, career stages, and types of institutions.
Read More »

Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
Culture, Performance, and Assessment in Research
Susan Guthrie, Jonathan Grant
May 25, 2021
Wonkhe
The unwritten, and often unsaid, concern in the debate about research culture in the UK is an apparent trade-off between excellence in research and a healthy research culture. But the evidence shows that this is a false dichotomy.
Read More »
Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
Before Redesigning the REF, a New Survey Could Help in Understanding What Is and Isn’t Working
Catriona Manville, James Wilsdon
Oct 6, 2020
Research Professional News
September's call for more sustainable and agile research funding signaled a renewed push by research-intensive universities for a funding and assessment system with a lighter touch. Before embarking on a further round of changes, it is important to listen and learn from researchers and managers about what has and has not worked well.
Read More »
Science of Science
commentary
The Future of Research Outputs
Susan Guthrie, Maja Maricevic, Catriona Manville
May 12, 2020
British Library
The changing nature of research outputs has the potential to affect a wide range of organizations and people. A proactive stance could help drive research towards better practices in information storage, sharing and communication, but requires early action and shared goals at a sector level.
Read More »
Science of Science
commentary
Leading with the Proper Use of Scientific Evidence Is Better Than Hiding Behind It
Tom Ling
May 5, 2020
The RAND Blog
Evidence only has scientific meaning when it is part of a body of disciplinary knowledge produced by a community of scientists. Leading with scientific evidence, coupled with a wider values framework, may result in better outcomes for all.
Read More »
Science of Science
commentary
What Is the Future of England's Research and Research Assessment?
Catriona Manville
Nov 1, 2019
Wonkhe
Rapid technological developments, changes in public policy, and shifts in the international environment all affect academia. To help understand these effects, RAND researchers asked more than 3,600 academics in England how they expect their research to evolve over the next decade.
Read More »
Scientific Professions
commentary
Outputs of the Future
Catriona Manville, Steven Hill
Oct 11, 2019
Research Professional News
Are all types of research outputs of equal value? How do different outputs serve different purposes? Exploring these questions could benefit not only funders and universities, but also result in overall better use of research resources.
Read More »
Citizen Science
essay
How Citizen Scientists Are Protecting Their Communities
Aug 29, 2019
After Superstorm Sandy, residents of Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood cleaned up debris, pumped out basements, and teamed up with researchers to find out what was in the floodwater. They established safety protocols to help local businesses prevent their chemicals from escaping and wrote a guide to help other communities.
Read More »
Decisionmaking
commentary
Measuring Up: How to Ensure Peer Review for Grant Applications Remains Up to the Mark
Daniela Rodriguez-Rincon, Susan Guthrie
Jul 26, 2019
Research Fortnight
Expert peer review is considered the gold standard for assessing the validity, significance and originality of research. When it comes to grant applications, however, peer review is not without its shortcomings. Addressing some of the challenges that peer review poses could ensure that the best research receives the financial support it deserves.
Read More »
Educational Program Evaluation
commentary
Research Rigor Is Undermined by Translating Into Years of Learning
John F. Pane @JohnFPane, Matthew D. Baird
Jul 5, 2019
Education Week
The research field increasingly recognizes that we need metrics that everyone can understand. Translating the result into years of learning has become a popular approach, but this metric has major flaws. There are better options.
Read More »
International Diplomacy
blog
DMZ Meeting, Students with Disabilities, Iran: RAND Weekly Recap
Jul 5, 2019
This weekly recap focuses on Trump's meeting with Kim Jong Un, supporting students with disabilities, the flawed logic of a proportional response in Iran, and more.
Read More »
Homelessness
blog
ISIS, Homelessness, India's Election: RAND Weekly Recap
Jun 7, 2019
This weekly recap focuses on what can be done about ISIS detainees, a program that helps reduce homelessness, Modi's reelection in India, and more.
Read More »
Decisionmaking
commentary
Assessing Confidence in “What Works” in Social Policy
Yulia Shenderovich, Alex Sutherland, Sean Grant
Mar 21, 2019
The RAND Blog
Policy decisions are increasingly informed (or expected to be informed) by research evidence. Making the process as systematic, transparent and explicit as possible provides users with ways to understand, question and contribute to the eventual policy recommendation, and gives policymakers and practitioners confidence in its credibility.
Read More »
Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
How to Design a Research Funder
Catriona Manville, Catherine A. Lichten
Mar 11, 2019
Research Fortnight
Emerging challenges are leading to an increased emphasis on the impact of research beyond academia. At the same time, funders must adapt to changing expectations about what research can and should deliver, financial austerity, and developments in the topics and methods of research.
Read More »
Medical Ethics
commentary
CONSORT-SPI 2018: Announcing an Extension for Randomized Controlled Trials of Social and Psychological Interventions
Paul Montgomery, Evan Mayo-Wilson, Sean Grant
Aug 2, 2018
On Medicine (BioMed Central)
Complete and transparent reporting of randomized controlled trials is integral for replication, critical appraisal and understanding context. A new extension of the CONSORT Statement aims to improve the reporting of randomized controlled trials of social and psychological interventions.
Read More »
Health and Wellness Promotion
commentary
Open Science and a Culture of Health: You Two Should Talk
Sean Grant, Kathryn E. Bouskill @kebouskill
Mar 7, 2018
Berkeley Initiative for Transparency in the Social Sciences
By working together, the Culture of Health and Open Science movements could increase their potential to accelerate the use of scientific evidence to address impediments to population health and collective well-being.
Read More »
Decisionmaking
blog
Exploring Trust, Leadership, and 'Analytic Courage'
Nov 15, 2017
Leaders in business, government, academia, and philanthropy gathered at RAND's headquarters in Santa Monica to pay tribute to the seven-decade relationship between RAND and the U.S. Air Force. Panelists discussed the importance of trusted advice to inform national security descisonmaking.
Read More »
Program Evaluation
commentary
Tracking Global Trends in Open Peer Review
Sarah Parks, Salil Gunashekar
Oct 27, 2017
Publons
Open peer review is happening in a variety of forms, but it still accounts for a small percentage of reviews carried out, and it is not clear whether open peer review is increasing in usage. In the future, as the Publons dataset grows, it will be worth exploring the data in more detail.
Read More »
Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
Can Open Science Help to Make Research More Accessible?
Anna Knack, Elta Smith, Catherine A. Lichten, Sarah Parks, Salil Gunashekar
Oct 13, 2017
Observatory for a Connected Society app
The leading principle of open science is that anyone, whether they are part of the research community or the public, should be able to access scientific knowledge. Free circulation of knowledge, the sharing of research results, and transparency of methodology are core tenets of the scientific method.
Read More »
commentary
Professional Expectations, Families and Brexit Shape Future for UK International Researchers
Susan Guthrie, Catherine A. Lichten
May 5, 2017
Times Higher Education
Mobility has become an even higher priority for researchers since the results of the UK’s EU referendum, Brexit. To continue to attract and keep top talent, the UK needs to understand how and why researchers move between countries.
Read More »
Methodology
commentary
Why We Need to Experiment with Grant Peer Review
Steven Wooding, Susan Guthrie
Apr 4, 2017
Research Fortnight
More than 95 per cent of academic biomedical research funding is controlled by peer review of grant applications. It is generally cited as the gold standard for awarding funding, but it appears most effective when used conservatively.
Read More »
Mental Health and Illness
commentary
Who's Funding Mental Health Research Worldwide?
Steven Wooding, Alexandra Pollitt
Aug 17, 2016
Health Affairs Blog
The size and diversity of mental health research is significant, but it remains a loosely defined field in which funders tend not to spell out what counts as mental health. An outline of the current state of mental health research funding worldwide helps to address the huge challenges of mental illness.
Read More »
Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
Why Research Funders Looking for Impact Need to Be 'DECISIVE'
Steven Wooding, Adam Kamenetzky
Apr 14, 2016
Research Fortnight
Funding decisions in the UK direct the flow of billions of pounds of public and philanthropic funding but there is little evidence to suggest how to allocate grants to researchers to increase the chances that the work they support changes lives and improves society. New research helps inform funders' strategies.
Read More »
Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
What's Next for REF?
Catriona Manville
Jul 8, 2015
Open Forum Events
In 2014, the research of 154 UK universities was evaluated, accounting for the efforts of 52,061 academic staff members. For the first time, the impact that the research had on wider society was part of the assessment. As we approach the next assessment period, there is opportunity for discussion to tweak and refine future measures of impact.
Read More »
Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
Three Cheers for Research Users Engaging in REF 2014
Catriona Manville
Mar 31, 2015
PolicyWonkers
In the UK, research outputs from universities are assessed every five years to determine future funding allocations from government. In 2014, for the first time, the Research Excellence Framework included an assessment of research impact. Research users played key roles throughout the process.
Read More »