SSIS research rated internationally excellent in latest national assessment

This exceptional performance places the college in a nationally competitive position.

Submissions to the REF were made in 36 Units of Assessment (UoA) and the quality of research was assessed using a 0-4* rating system.

Law had 85% of research rated at 4* and 3* - compared to 73% nationally. Politics had 30% of research rated at 4* and 84% rated at 4*and 3*compared to national average of 28% and 68% respectively. Sociology had 77% of research rated at 4* and 3* - up from 55% in 2008. Education had 44% of research rated at 4* and 87.5% at 4* for the environment score which is the best in the University. The Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, which was submitted to Area Studies, had 45% of research at 4*, which is highest in the University and 100% of impact was graded at 4* - also best in the University.

All the UoAs within SSIS are top 10 nationally, except for Law which is 11th, when combining 4*+3*.

Professor Debra Myhill, Dean said: “I am delighted by this exceptional performance that places the college in a nationally competitive position. The results emphasises our focus on excellent research across a number of related disciplines. I would like to thank all the academic and professional services staff who have contributed to this result which bodes very well for the future of research within the college.”

At an institutional level, 82% of Exeter’s research has been rated as world-leading or internationally excellent which represents a huge rise from 56% in 2008 and places it first in the South West.

Three Units of Assessments are in the national top 5, eight in the national top 10 and more than three quarters of all Units of Assessments are in the top 20 for their discipline, when taking research graded at 4*and 3* together, Exeter is ranked 16th in the UK for 4* research - the very highest grade.