Over the last few years there has been lots of discussion about the use of metrics in research assessment.  An Independent review was commissioned by the government in April 2014 to investigate the current and potential future roles that quantitative indicators can play in the assessment and management of research. Through 15 months of consultation and evidence-gathering, the review looked in detail at the potential uses and limitations of research metrics and indicators, exploring the use of metrics within institutions and across disciplines. Its report, ‘The Metric Tide’, was published in July 2015

One of the main findings of the report is that no metric can provide a like-for-like replacement for REF peer review though carefully selected indicators can complement decision making.

The report also recommends that ORCID ID’s should be mandatory for all researchers submitted to the REF.  ORCID’s are permanent identifiers for researchers and enable researchers to protect their unique scholarly identity. Many funders and journals have adopted ORCID’s so it is worthwhile getting one if you haven’t already.