“Metrics cannot replace peer review in the next REF…”

The findings of the Independent Review of the Role of Metrics in Research Assessment and Management have been published, concluding that “no set of numbers is likely to be able to capture the nuanced judgements that the REF currently provides” and it is not currently feasible to assess research outputs or impact by quantitative indicators alone. The review was chaired by James Wilsdon, Professor of Science and Democracy at the University of Sussex.