Knowledge Production and the REF: The Construction of Academic Excellence in Economics

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a UK-wide assessment scheme for the quality of Higher Education (HE)
research. REF results inform both the allocation of public research funds and rankings in national and international
league tables, thus playing a major role in determining HE institutions' direct and indirect income. Following the strong
programme within the Sociology of Knowledge, I conceptualise the REF as an active constructor of 'academic
excellence', rather than an objective measuring tool. Existing qualitative research confirms that the REF process itself
impacts what is considered valid knowledge in the social sciences in general, and Economics in particular. Further
quantitative research focusing on the case study of Economics has associated the REF and its predecessor (the
'Research Assessment Exercise') with a narrowing of the Economics discipline at the disadvantage of heterodox schools
of economic thought. However, there is an important gap in the literature when it comes to qualitative empirical work on
how 'economic excellence' is constructed through the REF and to what extent these constructions are biased against
Heterodox Economics. The aim of my proposed research is to bridge this gap through conducting a discourse analysis of
both REF guidelines and interviews with academics involved in multiple stages of the REF.