2 Review Aims, Context and Guiding Principles
2.1 Aims
The aims of the Review are to enable the ARC to:
• respond to the ongoing needs of the university sector, government and the public for a robust evaluation of Australian university research quality, impact and engagement
simplify and streamline ERA and EI
•
• take advantage of recent developments in technology and big data
• ensure that ERA and EI continue to reflect world’s best practice.
2.2Terms of reference
The Review will consider:
• the purpose and value of research evaluation, including how it can further contribute to the Government’s science, research and innovation agendas • the extent to which ERA and EI are meeting their objectives to improve research quality and encourage university research engagement and impact outside of academia • the effects of both ERA and EI on the Australian university research sector, whether positive or negative, intended or unintended • opportunities to streamline the ERA and EI processes to reduce the reporting burden on the research sector (as recommended by the House of Representatives Report, Australian Government Funding Arrangements for non-NHMRC Research ) 2 noting the guiding principles of ERA and EI are:
robust and reliable methodologies
-
- applicability of the methodologies across disciplines
• opportunities for coordination of research data reporting and analysis across government, thereby improving whole-of-government reporting capability and reducing the reporting burden on universities • publicly available data sources and new developments in technology and products to capture research evaluation data
the frequency of ERA and EI
•
• the appropriateness and robustness of the ERA and EI methodologies.
2.3 Context ERA evaluates the quality of university research. EI assesses the engagement and impact of university research. Both ERA and EI are based on the principle that transparent assessment and reporting of university performance provides incentives to universities to improve research quality, engagement and impact. The comprehensive and fine-grained information from ERA and EI assessments provides a valuable resource for universities to use in their strategic planning and
2 House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training, Australian Government Funding Arrangements for non-NHMRC Research, (Canberra: Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, 2018).
5
Made with FlippingBook Proposal Creator