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Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA)

1.Overview of ERA
2.UoN approach to ERA
3.Research Journal Rankings
4.ERA Key Dates
5.ERA Project Team
6.Related Links

1.  Overview of the Excellence in Research in Australia (ERA) initiative

 

Background

The Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) initiative is a new research quality and evaluation system will be developed by the ARC replacing the Howard Governments Research Quality Framework (RQF). 

 

It will assess research quality within Australia’s higher education institutions using a combination of indicators and expert review by committees comprising experienced, internationally-recognised experts across eight discipline clusters.

The discipline clusters are as follows:

 

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2. UoN approach to ERA

 

ERA Approach

ERA will detail by institution and by discipline those areas that are internationally competitive, together with emerging areas where there are opportunities for development and further investment.  The scheme will commence with Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences (PCE); a discipline where indicators are widely accepted.

Consultation will continue with other disciplines about indicators appropriate to their disciplines, noting that some measures will be appropriate to all disciplines and that for all disciplines expert review of the indicators is essential.

Research in each University and discipline will be evaluated using 3 categories of indicators:

 

Where it is determined that there are no appropriate indicators, or information about outputs is not captured, a peer review of sample outputs may be required.

 

Unit of Evaluation

The unit of evaluation for ERA will be research disciplines within an institution, classified by the Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC) Field of Research (FoR) codes.

 

For a complete listing of the Field of Research codes click here.

 

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3.  Research Journal Rankings

 

In late 2007 the four Learned Academies and a number of discipline peak bodies undertook a journal ranking exercise to develop draft journal rankings for their relevant disciplines.  The lists have been reviewed by the ARC, in consultation with the Academies and the other list providers, to remove duplication and inconsistencies.

 

Currently ARC is seeking submissions from each institution about the draft journal quality rankings and the FoR code(s) assigned to it.

 

In June 2008 Research Services contacted all staff regarding the classification of academic journals into four tiers of excellence and the draft ranking released by the ARC for public consultation.

 

In order to respond we need to know what academics think about the individual rankings for each journal.  In particular you are asked to examine the journals for your discipline area for their accuracy and completeness, and consult with your discipline colleagues. Assistant Deans (Research) have been asked to facilitate this process so that a single response from each discipline area is provided to Reseasrch Division.

 

These responses are due to Lyn McBriarty – Director Research Services by Thursday the 31st of July.  Research Services will consolidate all of the responses and submit them to the ARC by the 14th of August.

 

The consolidated response will be available at a 2 digit FoR level on this web site.

 

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4.  Key Dates

 

Action

Date

Link

UoN Response to ERA discussion document

30/06/2008

 

UoN response to ERA draft journal rankings

14/08/2008

 

Cluster 1  (Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences (PCE) consultation begins

 

July 2008

 

Cluster 2  Humanities and Creative Arts (HCA) consultation begins

 

July 2008

 

Draft ERA submission guidelines released

August 2008

 

Cluster 1  (Physical, Chemical and Earth Sciences (PCE) consultation ends

 

September 2008

 

Cluster 2  Humanities and Creative Arts (HCA) consultation ends

 

October 2008

 

 

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5.  ERA Project Team

 

Project Steering Committee –

Research Grants and Infrastructure Sub-Committee

Project Sponsor –Professor Barney Glover

Business Owner –Mrs Lyn McBriarty Director

Project Manager – Mr Steve Hannan

Project Officer – TBA

 

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6.  Related Links

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