Each section of the guidance shows the date it was published. If we have made any changes to a policy these will be listed in a change log for that policy. You’ll find a link to the change policy at the end of each policy.
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Contents
Sections
- Section 1 – Overview
- Section 3 – Volume Measure guidance
- Volume measure contributing contracts diagram
- Section 4 – Contributions to Knowledge and Understanding (CKU) guidance
- Section 5 – Open Access policy
- Change log – Section 5 – Open Access policy
- Section 8 – Code of Practice guidance
- Change log – Section 8 – Code of Practice guidance
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Section 1 – Overview
- Introduction
- Overview of the assessment framework
- Development of REF 2029
- Key changes for REF 2029
- Aims and objectives for REF 2029
- Guiding principles
- Sector priorities
- Assessment process
- Structure of submissions
- REF outcomes
- Eligibility to participate in REF 2029
- Equalities legislation
- Timetable for REF 2029
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Section 3 – Volume Measure guidance
- Overview
- Introduction
- Key changes in REF 2029
- The volume measure
- Technical detail
- Eligible contracts
- Codes of Practice (CoP)
- Identifying contracts with Significant Responsibility for Research (SRR)
- Processes for identifying contracts with research independence (RI)
- Volume measure contributing contracts diagram
- Variations
- Allocating eligible contracts to UoAs
- Demonstrating the association of eligible contracts with a UoA
- Audit
- Amendments to the HESA record
- Volume measure contributing contracts diagram
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Section 4 – Contributions to Knowledge and Understanding (CKU) guidance
- Overview
- Introduction
- Key changes for REF 2029
- Disciplinary level evidence statements
- Eligible outputs
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Substantive link
- Definition of a substantive link
- Output eligibility period
- Eligible employment relationships
- Eligible employment relationships and the point outputs are made publicly available
- Time limited period
- Set of indicators to evidence substantive link
- Exclusions
- Exceptional circumstances
- Outputs authored during an excluded contract
- Exceptions
- Representative submissions
- Significant research contribution (SRC)
- Required output data
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Additional output data
- Digital object identifier (DOI)
- Former staff
- Pre-publication substantive link
- Open access
- Request for cross-referral
- Research group
- Research specialism
- Co-authors
- Disciplinary identifier flags
- A brief abstract
- Pending publication
- Request to ‘multiple-weight’ the output
- Supplementary information
- Confidential output
- Panel additional data requirements
- Assigning outputs to UoAs
- Interdisciplinary research
- Co-authored/co-produced outputs
- Disciplinary identifiers
- Languages
- Outputs with delayed publication
- Multiple-weighting of outputs
- Reserve pool
- Confidential outputs
- Role of the Code of Practice (CoP)
- Unit reduction requests
- Citation data
- Access to submitted outputs
- Audit
-
Section 5 – Open Access policy
- What this policy covers
- Introduction
- Summary
- Key terms and definitions
- Technical requirements – outputs published 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025
- Exceptions to the open access requirements 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2025
- Technical requirements – outputs published from 1 January 2026
- Permitted exceptions from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028
- Audit
- Change log
- Change log – Section 5 – Open Access policy
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Section 8 – Code of Practice guidance
- Overview
- Policy context
- Codes of practice and the People, Culture and Environment assessment element
- CoP guidance publication and approval schedule
- Approval
- Approach
- Audit and assurance
- Queries
- Guidance for volume measure elements of CoP
- Implications of calculating the volume measure across multiple years
- Guidance for output elements of the CoP
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CoP structure
- CoP introduction
- Policies and procedures for identifying Significant Responsibility for Research
- Policies and procedures for identifying research independence
- Policies and procedures for the selection of outputs for submission
- Policies and procedures for identifying substantive link to outputs
- Policies and procedures for selecting outputs where the substantive link is via former staff
- Policies and Procedures for assigning outputs to UoA(s)
- Procedures for supporting diversity of outputs
- Procedures for ensuring submissions are representative of the research undertaken within the submitting unit during the REF period
- Policies and procedures and responsible research assessment practice
- Referenced appendices
- Key requirements for REF 2029 Code of Practice
- CoP template
- Change log
- Change log – Section 8 – Code of Practice guidance