The research excellence framework represents another opportunity for universities in the UK to boast they are better than their peers. In this article Marcus Manufò highlighted how Glasgow had pre-registered that they
will focus on collegiality over superiority, avoiding unnecessary comparisons and presenting the results as evidence of Glasgow’s significant contribution to the collaborative research endeavour. As a first check I scraped every REF result related tweet from the main account of Russell Group universities on the 12th May 2022 up to midday. These are 24 “leading” universities. They are republished below by university. I have tried to exclude non-relevant tweets and also retweets. Exeter and Nottingham’s accounts had not tweeted anything about REF results by noon.
Make your own mind up about how Glasgow compares in its tweets to the others. I thought there was less comparison than I was expecting.
The code to reproduce the analysis is here. Thanks to R, Rstudio, tidyverse, rtweet, tweetrmd for making this easy to do and distill for making the blog easy to produce.
#REFResults are out today! We’re delighted they recognise the outstanding quality and impact of our research:
— University of Bristol (@BristolUni) May 12, 2022
📚 94% of research assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent
🔬 Ranked 5th in the UK according to @timeshighered https://t.co/S9eO8xTgtw#REF2021 pic.twitter.com/y09uuZ7Jn1
93% of our submissions were judged to be either ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, making us the leading university that covers the broad range of disciplines from STEM to the arts, humanities and social sciences. #REF2021 https://t.co/Chlu7Lwnrp
— Cambridge University (@Cambridge_Uni) May 12, 2022
A revolutionary new cancer drug.
— Cambridge University (@Cambridge_Uni) May 12, 2022
Smartphone text prediction software.
A book that has helped millions of children and adults reconnect with nature.
Read more about our world-leading research.#REF2021
90% of our research has been rated as 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent' in @REF_2021! Well done everyone! #REFResults @ResEngland @N8research
— Durham University (@durham_uni) May 12, 2022
Read more: https://t.co/kYxCceEnEW pic.twitter.com/xr20CmUUf5
Our researchers work with partners across the globe to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. Learn more about how our researchers hard work is having an impact 👉 https://t.co/3uQC41KenB#DUresearch #REFResults pic.twitter.com/EAkvhnJeIQ
— Durham University (@durham_uni) May 12, 2022
We are number 4 in the UK based on the breadth and quality of our research. Nothing ordinary comes from this extraordinary place. Read the full news article ➡️ https://t.co/TikxfIPuqd#EdinburghImpact pic.twitter.com/a2OsleN6eO
— The University of Edinburgh (@EdinburghUni) May 12, 2022
We are 4th in the UK based on the breadth and quality of our research. Watch our latest video to find out how we are making the world a better place ▶️ https://t.co/kTfaNqVif9 #EdinburghImpact pic.twitter.com/Lh51I3CXNG
— The University of Edinburgh (@EdinburghUni) May 12, 2022
The #REF2021 results are in…and confirm our status as a world-class research powerhouse!
— Imperial College (@imperialcollege) May 12, 2022
We have a greater proportion of 4* “world-leading” research than any other UK university – a testament to #OurImperial community 👉 https://t.co/QZxtDSjEs1 pic.twitter.com/JK408kLCUD
World-leading research like this happens because of our people – because of you. Thank you to every member of #OurImperial community for your hard work and dedication! pic.twitter.com/Q2LQ48w9tK
— Imperial College (@imperialcollege) May 12, 2022
We are the best place in the UK to do research, according to today's #REF2021 results!
— Imperial College (@imperialcollege) May 12, 2022
Our world-leading research is possible because of scientists like Dr Cristina Banks-Leite.
Here are some highlights from Cristina’s journey! 🧵 pic.twitter.com/EkSaUlMieS
Professor Sanjeev Gupta's work spans continents, time and even reaches out to Mars!🚀
— Imperial College (@imperialcollege) May 12, 2022
His research has contributed to our outstanding #REF2021 results.
Stay with us to hear Sanjeev's amazing story 👇 pic.twitter.com/KAp56ZnBPP
King’s has maintained its position among the world’s best universities for research excellence and power in the latest Research Excellence Framework (#REF2021).
— King's College London (@KingsCollegeLon) May 12, 2022
Read more about how King's research is benefitting society here 👇https://t.co/0syNGzsfXC
👏👏 Thank you to everyone for their hard work and contributions 👏👏#REF2021 https://t.co/tmspyUW9qu
— King's College London (@KingsCollegeLon) May 12, 2022
Our world changing ideas have life changing impact 💡🌍 #REF2021 https://t.co/2QdB9Gjm7e
— King's College London (@KingsCollegeLon) May 12, 2022
⚖️👩⚖️@KCL_Law plays a vital role in solving today’s global problems. #REF2021
— King's College London (@KingsCollegeLon) May 12, 2022
Find out more about their achievements here... https://t.co/A6i4hiQFkn
🤝Building Bridges🤝
— King's College London (@KingsCollegeLon) May 12, 2022
Find out more about how we are shaping new ways of working in the fast-changing world of international relations #REF2021 👇 https://t.co/LK7J4Im9Tp
It's #REFresults day! We're proud to share that 91% of our research has been categorised as 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent' according to the Research Excellence Framework 2021. 😀 #LivUniREF
— University of Liverpool (@LivUni) May 12, 2022
More great news here: https://t.co/RjGggcvuvu pic.twitter.com/8fboWMD5fy
🎉🎉Great news this morning as #REFresults recognise our outstanding contribution to social science research once again! LSE is top UK university based on percentage of world leading (4*) research produced. 🥳 🥳#REF2021https://t.co/4PAiw16v5e
— LSE (@LSEnews) May 12, 2022
Overall, 93% of @OfficialUoM research activity was assessed as ‘world-leading’ (4*) or ‘internationally excellent’ (3*).
— The University of Manchester (@OfficialUoM) May 12, 2022
We also ranked highly for:
- quality research impact (96% 3* or 4*)
- research environment (99% 3* or 4*). #REFResults #REF2021 @REF_2021 @ResEngland pic.twitter.com/taeffhF9is
The University had 19 subjects in the top ten overall by grade point average and 15 when measured by research power.
— The University of Manchester (@OfficialUoM) May 12, 2022
See the results in full: https://t.co/y2MEecELnh#REFResults #REF2021 @REF_2021 @ResEngland
Vice-President for Research, Professor Colette Fagan reacts to @OfficialUoM #REF2021 #REFResults, with a special thank you to colleagues working on our submission during the pandemic. 💜 pic.twitter.com/lhjUQ8cRHl
— The University of Manchester (@OfficialUoM) May 12, 2022
Queen Mary has excelled in today’s #REF2021 results, confirming our status as one of the best research-intensive universities in the UK. Across the University, 92% of our research was assessed as internationally excellent or world-leading. Discover more at https://t.co/QT1UhRRXaC pic.twitter.com/Mc8Cak9v3P
— Queen Mary University of London (@QMUL) May 12, 2022
Queen Mary’s strong @REF_2021 performance is set in the context of its commitment to research and educational excellence, coupled with an unrivalled commitment to social justice and social mobility https://t.co/c6EoTLeued pic.twitter.com/QSnMjOg7As
— Queen Mary University of London (@QMUL) May 12, 2022
Queen Mary is ranked joint 7th in the UK for the quality of our research in #REF2021 https://t.co/YbXfgpSbAZ
— Queen Mary University of London (@QMUL) May 12, 2022
84% of our research has been assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent. Here are just some of the highlights. (UK rankings)
— Queen's University Belfast 🎓 (@QUBelfast) May 12, 2022
🔴 Joint 1st: #Agriculture, #Veterinary & #FoodSciences.
🔴 4th: #Health & #BiomedicalSciences.
🔴 8th: #Law.#LoveQUB #REFResults #REF2021
We are so proud of our researchers & support staff who are helping make the world a better place.#LoveQUB @QUBstaff @QUB_Innovation @QUBPostdoc @qubgradschool @QUBEngagement @QUBResDev @QUBResearchPol #REFResults #REF2021 pic.twitter.com/BHk452apVv
— Queen's University Belfast 🎓 (@QUBelfast) May 12, 2022
The #REFResults are out and demonstrate the significant positive impact of our work on lives across the globe. 92% of research @SheffieldUni is rated as world-leading or internationally excellent. #REF2021🔬📚🌍 pic.twitter.com/bjjPgLskMr
— The University of Sheffield (@sheffielduni) May 12, 2022
But we’re also excited for the future and the inspiring discoveries we are yet to make. #REF2021
— The University of Sheffield (@sheffielduni) May 12, 2022
The University of Sheffield’s submission to the REF included 3,684 outputs, 114 impact case studies and 1,690 staff. The #REFresults demonstrate our research and impact excellence across a broad range of disciplines and confirm our place as a world-leading university. #REF2021
— The University of Sheffield (@sheffielduni) May 12, 2022
Thank you to everyone at The University of Sheffield who’s contributed to our #REF2021. You’re influencing policy, changing lives and helping us to understand the world so we can make it better. pic.twitter.com/EnkL3e0GF2
— The University of Sheffield (@sheffielduni) May 12, 2022
UCL has come second in the UK for research power in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF) announced today. Find out why 93% of our research was graded ‘world leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’: https://t.co/9s2YBDEC3E #UCLResearch #REFResults pic.twitter.com/xZBmv4AX2Q
— UCL (@ucl) May 12, 2022
In 2020, there were 37.7 million people living with HIV worldwide. UCL research is at the forefront of discovering new ways to manage and prevent the spread of the virus: https://t.co/5qhtw4DsKl#UCLResearch #REFResults pic.twitter.com/B7ciGk87hS
— UCL (@ucl) May 12, 2022
One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. UCL clinicians have pioneered a single-dose radiotherapy, transforming breast cancer patient care: https://t.co/KR0WQk70pU#UCLResearch #REFResults pic.twitter.com/6g8R0Y7aBn
— UCL (@ucl) May 12, 2022
Today we have received an outstanding vote of confidence in the quality of our research & contribution to society with the publication of the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF).
— Uni of Birmingham (@unibirmingham) May 12, 2022
We've been ranked 10th in the Russell Group and 13th in the UK (GPA) https://t.co/tPMKtyez0x pic.twitter.com/zgt4VhuPo6
Confirmed by our #REFResults, our research is having a major impact on global health challenges, tackling inequalities, driving innovation with industry, and addressing climate change #REF2021 https://t.co/hM12gkpgPh pic.twitter.com/AKNux3iGNQ
— Uni of Birmingham (@unibirmingham) May 12, 2022
What is REF?
— Uni of Birmingham (@unibirmingham) May 12, 2022
REF evaluates the quality and real-world impact of research in UK universities, informing the allocation of research funding from the four UK higher education funding bodies #ResearchthatMatters #REF2021
As confirmed by our #REFResults, our research is driving innovation with industry, revolutionising materials, performance and safety. We translate our research into industry through our signature assets, expertise and research #ResearchThatMatters 👇https://t.co/SzP3UKaqCK pic.twitter.com/Vh58NAwGFA
— Uni of Birmingham (@unibirmingham) May 12, 2022
Our Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research, Professor Heather Widdows (@ProfWiddows ) comments on the University's exceptional results in #REF2021 👇 pic.twitter.com/Jz6OvCFOGU
— Uni of Birmingham (@unibirmingham) May 12, 2022
Thanks to the hard work of teams across the University we're celebrating a 65% increase in our research power announced in today's #REFResults. This consolidates our position as one of the UK’s world-leading broad-based research-intensive universities https://t.co/8hmcdVl2BW pic.twitter.com/k9kSK4yjes
— Newcastle University (@UniofNewcastle) May 12, 2022
Oxford is proud to announce that our 2021 #REFResults results show the largest volume of world-leading research in the UK.
— University of Oxford (@UniofOxford) May 12, 2022
Thank you to all our staff and partners who have worked together to help Oxford research benefit the UK and the world.
Read more ⬇️
Oxford made the largest #REFResults submission of any UK university, submitting:
— University of Oxford (@UniofOxford) May 12, 2022
- Over 3,600 researchers in 29 subject areas
- Over 8,500 research outputs
- 220 case studies about the impact of Oxford research beyond academia@ResEngland #REF2021 https://t.co/KrLw1K87xJ
'The #REFresults demonstrate once again that Oxford is a research powerhouse.'
— University of Oxford (@UniofOxford) May 12, 2022
Prof Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Oxford: pic.twitter.com/5lxfjYvcMe
‘Our submission shows how through our collaborations with external partners our research is used to benefit society, across the UK and around the world.'
— University of Oxford (@UniofOxford) May 12, 2022
Prof Patrick Grant, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of Oxford: pic.twitter.com/0JIQ6fYlcq
Our research has people at its heart. Thanks to the talent, commitment and dedication of our York community, we're proud to be a Top 10 UK University for research quality in the @timeshighered rankings of @REF_2021 #REF2021 #REFResults
— University of York (@UniOfYork) May 12, 2022
Results at a glance: https://t.co/pUa34bkJmj pic.twitter.com/lES8whPwiZ
Follow the updates of our Departmental highlights below, and please join us in thanking all those who play such a critical role in supporting our research here at York: https://t.co/qhOPklnv3B#REF2021 #REFresults @REF_2021 @ResEngland
— University of York (@UniOfYork) May 12, 2022
Our #REFResults place us in the top 10 per cent of institutions that submitted to the @REF_2021 assessment exercise, with @UoSChemistry and @MathsSoton scoring respectively 100% and 99% of their research as ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Congratulations!
— University of Southampton (@unisouthampton) May 12, 2022
Outstanding research at the University of Southampton has been recognised in the #REFResults today.
— University of Southampton (@unisouthampton) May 12, 2022
92% of our research is ‘world leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ and our research’s impact on the world is amongst the best in the UK!
Read more: https://t.co/3tMKqwpMFp pic.twitter.com/0U0BgHODw9
Our research is making a real impact. We also placed within the top 10% of UK universities and 4th in the Russell Group for demonstrating the real-world benefit of our research. Our top performers were @ECSUoS, @SotonPhilosophy and @SotonPsych
— University of Southampton (@unisouthampton) May 12, 2022
The results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 identified that over 90% of University of Leeds research has an overall quality rating of “world-leading” or “internationally excellent”.https://t.co/nS7RJ1ZKkG #REFResults @REF_2021 pic.twitter.com/yY39g3ZWMj
— University of Leeds (@UniversityLeeds) May 12, 2022
These results further affirm the impact of the research taking place at Leeds and how it aligns with the University’s strategic objectives to drive down inequalities and build a fairer future for all. https://t.co/fsQd5AAa5q #REFResults @REF_2021 pic.twitter.com/IMMLhQgqXu
— University of Leeds (@UniversityLeeds) May 12, 2022
UofG has been recognised for its world-leading research & the positive impact it has on society, by the Research Excellence Framework. 🌍
— University of Glasgow (@UofGlasgow) May 12, 2022
Find out more: https://t.co/pMyHhx5mHq#REFResults #REF2021 #WorldChangingGlasgow #TeamUofG pic.twitter.com/CzqxqIliAn
The 2021 #REFResults are out, and we're happy to say that we're world leading! Our results demonstrate the world class quality of our research, our approach and most importantly, our people. We're so proud of our researchers today and every day #WarwickUni https://t.co/30ctlgulov pic.twitter.com/KKwuev6Cze
— University of Warwick (@warwickuni) May 12, 2022
For attribution, please cite this work as
Popham (2022, May 12). Frank Popham: We are better than you? REF edition. Retrieved from https://www.frankpopham.com/posts/2022-05-12-we-are-better-than-you-so-there/
BibTeX citation
@misc{popham2022we, author = {Popham, Frank}, title = {Frank Popham: We are better than you? REF edition}, url = {https://www.frankpopham.com/posts/2022-05-12-we-are-better-than-you-so-there/}, year = {2022} }