The REF is a process of expert review, carried out by expert panels for each of the 34 subject-based units of assessment (UOAs), under the guidance of four main panels. Expert panels are made up of senior academics, international members, and research users.
For each submission, three distinct elements are assessed: the quality of outputs (e.g. publications, performances, and exhibitions), their impact beyond academia, and the environment that supports research.
In 2021, the Department of Methodology contributed to five UOAs: Social Work and Social Policy (ranked 1st overall); Anthropology (ranked 1st overall); Politics and International Studies (ranked 3rd overall); Sociology (ranked 9th overall); and Mathematical Sciences (ranked 9th overall).
Two Methodology Professors - Jouni Kuha and Kenneth Benoit - are featured in the selection of Impact Case Studies, which highight the real-world impact of recent research. See their studies via the links on the right-hand side of this page.