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Abstract

In this paper, the origins and characteristics of the 102 current UK universities are briefly traced and the outcomes of recent assessments of research quality are summarized for all universities and for the 69 subject units within which assessment was made. The quality of research in a subject unit, group of subject units or complete institution is measured by a weighted average score based on a peer rating of submitted subject units from each university and the numerical values obtained are described within the limitations of the methodology developed. The authors consider the scores in terms of the characteristics of each university and the broad subject areas, science, engineering, social sciences and humanities. They then discuss the industrial link with research in terms of recent government policy inputs, university research outcomes and the impact of market forces on universities from diminishing patterns of some income streams.

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References

In the quoted extract, Tanner refers to ‘Regent Street! Chelsea! the Borough!’. Regent Street Polytechnic became the Polytechnic of Central London and, post-1992, the University of Westminster. Chelsea Polytechnic is now part of King's College, University of London. Borough Road Polytechnic became South Bank Polytechnic and, post-1992, South Bank University.

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1996 Research Assessment Exercise, Criteria for Assessment, Circular 3/95, Higher Education Funding Councils, November 1995.

1996 Research Assessment Exercise, Membership of Assessment Panels, Circular 2/96, Higher Education Funding Councils, December 1996.

1996 Research Assessment Exercise, The Outcome, Circular 1/96, Higher Education Funding Councils, December 1996.

‘League Table of Excellence’, The Times Higher Education Supplement, 20 December 1996.

Ibid.

10.

Ibid.

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Op cit, Ref 4.

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Op cit, Ref 7.

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Op cit, Ref 4.

14.

Snow

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, The Two Cultures, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1959.

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, ‘Teaching and research in UK universities: A management framework’, Industry and Higher Education, Vol 7, No 1 1993, pp 21–26.

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Adept Innovation, 1995 Survey of Industry—University Research Links, Department of Trade and Industry, London, 1995.

Research in Different Categories of UK Universities

Abstract

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References