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Strong Performance for Research Excellence Framework 2014

REF 2014 results

The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences is delighted by the REF results in which all disciplines in the Faculty improved their performance in comparison with the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) in 2008. The Faculty returned over 130 staff in 9 Units of Assessment. Overall, 74% of eligible staff were submitted, giving the Faculty a very high research intensity rating. 64% of research in the Faculty was judged to be in the top two categories, either world leading (4*) or of internationally excellent (3*) quality. 96% of the work submitted was judged to be of international quality or more. Here are some notable highlights:

  • English: 71% of research graded as internationally excellent and world leading overall (3* and 4*) and 25% of its research outputs assessed as world leading (4*).
  • History is in the top 3 performing subjects at Keele: 82% of its research is recognised as world leading and internationally excellent (4*and 3*).
  • Philosophy: achieved 4* for both of its Impact Case Studies, resulting in a top ranking for its world-leading Impact.
  • Music achieved a 100% research intensity rating with all of its research active staff being entered. As a result, it is ranked 23rd out of 84 in the Times Higher Education for research intensity.
  • Psychology: 40% of its research impact are judged to be world leading (4*).
  • Business and Management: 49% of outputs are considered to be world leading or internationally excellent (3* and 4*).
  • Law: 26% of all research submitted was judged as world-leading, placing us within the top 22 Law Schools for world-leading research (65% world-leading or internationally excellent), and 53% of our submitted impact work was assessed as world-leading, bringing us in the Top 15 for world-leading impact work. The Times Higher Education places the School of Law in the top third for research intensity.
  • Politics and International Relations is ranked 1st out of 56 in the country for research impact, with 100% of its work judged at 3* and 4* level.
  • Social Policy: 74% of research is judged world leading or internationally excellent in quality (4* and 3*).

Please see below for more detailed analysis, plus links to the Schools, Research Centres and the REF2014 submissions themselves.