Seven of Wales’ eight universities have slipped down a research league table based on rigorous assessments of all 129 higher education institutions in the UK - with the eighth in the same position as before.
Three Welsh universities have seen big drops, with Cardiff University dropping from sixth position to 22nd, Swansea from 26th to 48th and Cardiff Metropolitan from 41st to 81st. The findings are based on the UK’s system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions, known as the Research Excellence Framework (REF). The respected Times Higher Education magazine converts the results into an overall league table.
The REF is a process of expert review, carried out by expert panels for each of the 34 subject-based units of assessment, under the guidance of four main panels. Expert panels are made up of senior academics, international members, and research users.
