Figure 1: Comparison of percentage distribution of specific discipline unit of evaluation ratings across ERA rounds
Issues to be explored
One of the objectives of ERA is to facilitate improved research quality. There has been an increasing number of ‘4’ and ‘5’, and a drop in the proportion of ‘1’ and ‘2’ ratings over rounds as the example in Figure 1 shows. While this improvement reflects strategic decisions made by universities regarding their investment in research, some feedback has raised questions about whether the current rating scale can continue to differentiate sufficiently performance at the upper end of the scale.
Q3.23
The five-band ERA rating scale is suitable for assessing research excellence. Strongly agree; Agree; Neither agree nor disagree; Disagree; Strongly disagree. Please explain your answer. Noting that 90% of units of evaluation assessed in ERA 2018 are now at or above world standard, does the rating scale need to be modified to identify excellence? Yes/No. a. If you answered, ‘Yes’, please explain how the rating scale can be modified to identify excellence.
Q3.24
3.3.7 ERA low-volume threshold
A university is only evaluated in ERA in a broad discipline, or specific discipline, if the number of research outputs submitted reaches the low-volume threshold. The low-volume threshold also ensures that most Australian universities are evaluated in at least one field of research, regardless of their size. With a higher low-volume threshold, it is possible that smaller universities will no longer be evaluated in some disciplines in which they were assessed previously. With a lower low-volume threshold, it is possible that there will be insufficient data to accurately rate some units of evaluation. For further information on the low-volume threshold and how it applies, see the ERA 2018 Evaluation Handbook, section 1.5.1. The ARC has received feedback from some universities that the low-volume threshold is not appropriate and is interested in further information from stakeholders as part of this consultation. Note—due to the recent publication of the ANZSRC 2020, the ARC is unable to provide detailed modelling of the effects of different low-volume thresholds. Stakeholders are invited to provide comments on the low-volume threshold; however, the ARC will need to model likely effects prior to making a decision on any changes.
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