By the CDBU Steering Committee If you work in the sciences, you will be all too aware of the journal impact factor (JIF). The requirement for ‘publications in high impact journals’ has become a staple of job advertisements, and the achievement of this goal is emblazoned across research group websites as evidence of gloriousness. The...Read More

Opinion Piece by Derek Sayer*  At the behest of universities minister David Willetts, HEFCE established an Independent review of the Role of Metrics in Research Assessment in April 2014 chaired by James Wilsden. This followed consultations in 2008-9 that played a decisive role in persuading the government to back down on previous plans to replace...Read More