Research Assessment in the UK: An Overview of 1992–2008

Research assessment of UK universities has a history going back to at least 1986. A formal review system is operated by the Higher Education Funding Councils and their predecessors, and used to inform one stream of research funding. The current system was formalised in 1992 and continued until 2008, when a decision was taken to revise it more radically. This paper reviews the UK experience over two decades and attempts to draw some lessons from it, focusing on the area of Accounting & Finance (A&F) in particular and Business & Management (B&M) more generally. It considers the assessment process as a form of performance management, and reviews its operation from that standpoint, and also considers the proposals for change that are being considered in late 2009. The author has been a participant in all the review processes since 1992 and the paper benefits from this experience. It concludes that the process has had mainly beneficial outcomes, but is also in need of substantial redesign for the future.