PROFESSORIAL BANDING

DISCIPLINARY NORMS AND EXPECTATIONS

Department/School:Geography

Discipline (only if different to the above):Discipline

Faculty: Science

I confirm that the discipline norms detailed below were completed following consultation with Professors in the department, and have been verified by an external advisor.

Completed by: David GilbertKatie WillisDate: 20th May1st September 20164

RESEARCH

  1. What are the top-rated forms of research work in your discipline? E.g. journal articles, monographs, editions

Forms of output vary according to subdiscipline. In physical geography, including Quaternary science, geomorphology, environmental science and scientific archaeology, the refereed journal article is the norm. In human geography, including cultural geography, political geography and development studies, the journal article is a staple feature of most CVs. In human geography, research monographs are also seen as a very highly valued form of research output, particularly in political, historical and cultural geography, but also in many other areas of human geography.

In general, evaluation of the quality of research in geography relies on peer review rather than quantitative metrics, and this was the explicit methodology being used in REF 2014. However, in some fields – notably Quaternary Science – measures such as journal impact factors or citation scores may be more important.

  1. What lesser publications such as encyclopaedia entries, programme notes, reviews etc. command respect in your discipline?

Contributions to edited works may also be regarded as of high quality, but generally should be peer reviewed to demonstrate quality. There are also other forms of output, such as the production or editorship of major works of research reference or landmark edited volumes, that may not be eligible or prioritised in research assessment exercises, but are of high esteem, and important for the profile of individuals and the Department, and the wider discipline of Geography.

We also positively value outputs in digital formats where appropriate (e.g. linked to performance, exhibitions, expeditions, films, and other forms of public engagement, or as accompaniments to text). Innovation in these forms of output is becoming much more significant in the discipline, and influence and reputation is increasingly dependent upon synergies between text and new media

  1. What are the top-rated outlets for dissemination of research in your discipline? E.g. major publishers, top journals?

Geographers publish in a wide range of journals. The discipline has a tradition of strong subdisciplines, with excellent specialist journals, and of interdisciplinary research. While ‘leading journals’ may be identified within subdisciplines, excellent work is published in many other journals, and depending on the specialism these may include leading journals in other fields such as (for example) earth sciences, archaeology, environmental science, history, politics and international relations, development studies, urban studies or cultural studies. The previous REFRAE for Geography included assessment of a very wide-range of journals, with 4* and 3* work spread across journals and journal types.The interdisciplinary nature of much geographical scholarship means that excellent publication profiles for individuals in Geography do, more often than not, contain a mixture of disciplinary, sub-disciplinary and extra-disciplinary contributions, which is not characteristic of many other disciplines.

There are again differences between physical geography and human geography. In physical geography, leading journals include high profile general science journals, such as Nature, Nature Geoscience, Science, PNAS, but work of outstanding quality, distinction and influence is also published in key sub-disciplinary and specialist journals as well as leading journals in other disciplines.

For human geographers, there are a number of distinguished general disciplinary journals, notably Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, Annals of the Association of American Geographers, and the Environment and Planning series, but again work of outstanding quality, distinction and influence is also published in key sub-disciplinary and specialist journals as well as leading journals in other disciplines.

Geographers also publish books with a range of publishers. Those often most highly rated include the leading British and North American University Presses (particularly Oxford, Cambridge, Chicago, Yale and Harvard) though other presses have highly-regarded geography lists (including Routledge, Palgrave, Wiley Blackwell, Sage, Longman/Pearson, IB Tauris). There are also specialist publishers catering to particular subfields that have published some of the most important contributions to human geography. In general, it would be fair to say that books published with the best-known University publishers are most highly regarded beyond the discipline, but there are excellent books published by other houses which are well regarded within the discipline. The key factor is not the publisher but the nature and quality of research presented.

Increasingly, excellent research outputs also appear in other forms, particularly digital outputs and work related to exhibitions, performances and other events. These are perhaps harder to evaluate, but should be seen as significant indicators of innovation and creativity.

  1. What are the guiding assumptions about sole authorship, PI status, percentage contribution, joint editorship, etc.?

Reflecting geography’s diversity, there is a range of models of authorship, including single-authored and multi-authored texts, and conventions concerning the naming and sequence of authors vary considerably, particularly between physical and human geography.

In physical geography, multi-authorship is the most common form of publication: in these cases, generally, first-named authorship is regarded as the leading contribution, although other authors may have made very substantial and critical contributions. (REF 2014 did not distinguish between the contributions of authors as long as a significant contribution can be demonstrated.) There are also very significant single authored papers in physical geography.

In human geography, single-authorship was once the norm, and lone scholarship remains highly valued. However, in the last two decades, multi-authorship has become much more common, reflecting the growth of collaborative and interdisciplinary research teams in both the social sciences and the humanities. In the case of human geography, the sequence of author names does not always or even normally reflect authorial priority (indeed it may be simply alphabetical or may prioritise the contributions of more junior colleagues).

  1. What is the volume of productivity over what sort of timeline that might signify a.) a reasonable performance; b) a positive step-change for a professor in your discipline?

While simple metrics are difficult to apply across such a diverse discipline, we do expect research active staff to be publishing regularly. Some styles of research (such as large research teams producing multi-authored papers) may give rise to many publications; others (such as the lone scholar) may result fewer but high-quality publications. In general, the expectation is for professors to be publishing the equivalent of at least two significant journal papers per year – for some individuals this may be offset against the production time of significant research monographs.

A step-change in performance would be signalled by the publication of a seminal monograph, or an agenda-altering paper/set of papers; the award of a large and high-profile research grant; the conferral of awards or honours reflecting international distinction; leadership of major projects or key individual contributions involving significant and demonstrable levels of impact, either in policy or in public engagement.

  1. What are the top-rated funding sources for Research in your discipline? E.g. ESRC, AHRC, Leverhulme Trust, Wellcome etc.

Research funding in the discipline is broadly spread: there is no single source prized above all the rest, though there is a hierarchy of esteem reflected in departmental grant income strategy. RCUK grants (for Geography this is spread across AHRC, ESRC, NERC and EPSRC) rank highest, while also highly valued are EU/ERC, Leverhulme, Wellcome and Nuffield grants. Smaller grants from the British Academy and Royal Society are very highly prized as they bring esteem as well as funding. Other trusts such as Carnegie, Ford and MacArthur may also provide significant funding.

  1. What levels of funding would you regard as indicating a) a reasonable performance; or b) high performance in your discipline?

In Geography, professorial staff are expected to manage research projects attracting external research income as part of their roles as research leaders. There are differences that reflect subdisciplinary areas and research specialisms, and research outputs are regarded as more important than any simple metric of research income. Small (<£50K) and medium-sized grants (£50-£200K) may yield excellent results. Larger grants (£0.2m and above) are regarded as significant measures of achievement in themselves, as they entail significant research management and leadership, as well as making a significant financial contribution to the success of College and Department. These must, of course, also be judged in terms of their outcomes and outputs.

The Department has also encouraged funding for individual research fellowship schemes, success in which is generally regarded as a significant measure of esteem. The major national schemes for which senior geographers are eligible are the Leverhulme Major Research Fellowships, ESRC Professorial Fellowships and Royal Society-Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowships. As with other forms of research funding, there is an emphasis on the successful delivery of significant outputs from these schemes.

  1. Are invited lectures/ conference plenaries/ conference organization/ visiting professorships/ particularly significant in your discipline, and in what sort of ranked order?

Invitations to deliver lectures at international conferences are regarded as expected elements of a professorial portfolio; generally, invitations to present plenary, keynote or named lectures are more likely to be exceptional, as are themed sessions or conferences responding to the work of the professor. A number of disciplinary lectures at major conferences are published in leading journals, and these are regarded as of high esteem. For Human Geographers in particular, the annual conferences of the Association of American Geographers and the RGS-IBG are particularly important, and a major organisational role in these is a marker of esteem. For physical geographers leading roles in the EGU (the European Geosciences Union), AGU (American Geosciences Union) and quadrennial INQUA (International Union of Quaternary Science) Congress, have similar esteem and importance. As well as academic conferences, the work of Geographers at conferences organised by governments, think tanks, UN agencies, intergovernmental organisations etc. is particularly significant.

  1. What awards, prizes and honours if any, are significant in your discipline?

High personal esteem is associated with honours to scholars and scientists across the disciplines, notably FBA, FRS, FAcSS and British Academy prizes.

At disciplinary level, the RGS-IBG prizes, medals and awards have particular significance. Some geographers may also be eligible for awards made by other disciplinary bodies, including the Geological Society, Royal Anthropological Institute or the Royal Historical Society, and these carry significant weight.

Significant external recognition may also take a variety of forms, including prizes awarded for journal or book publication, the conferral of external titles from UNESCO and other bodies, and honorary degrees from other universities.

  1. Membership of which learned societies or other discipline-specific groups or organizations carry weight in your discipline?

Many Geographers are Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers. Ordinary fellowship/ membership of this organisation or of other learned societies is not in itself generally regarded as significant. Leadership roles in the RGS (including its many specialist research groups) or specialist organisations such as the Quaternary Research Association are much more significant as evidence of intellectual leadership.

TEACHING

  1. How many PhD students (in FTEs) would you expect to be supervised by Professors in your discipline?

The supervision of research students is regarded as a normal aspect of the professorial role. The attraction of significant numbers of students over a sustained period, and particularly the building of distinctive clusters of research students is seen as a strong marker of esteem. Access to sources of funding for research students varies across different sub-disciplines. Nonetheless, successful supervision of RCUK-funded students is particularly important, and CDA and CASE studentships should be highlighted in combining research and impact priorities. Excellence in relation to PhD supervision may be demonstrated through a sustained track record of graduate student publications in significant journals, by prizes, grants and honours for graduate students, and through successful conversion to fellowships, lectureships and significant research appointments. There is marked variation in PhD supervision rates across sub-disciplines, and it would be inappropriate to indicate a blanket expectation (in very general terms human geographers tend to have higher PhD numbers). Exceptional performance in relation to PhD supervision will be marked by a sustained record of successful completion of PhD projects; over a career a record of 20+ successful completions would be seen as an outstanding contribution in this activity.

The securing and mentoring of post-doctoral fellowships has also become an important activity where research leadership is demonstrated.

  1. What are the norms for contribution by Professors to Masters courses and their validation in your discipline?

Professorial staff should have a strong commitment to Masters teaching, and particularly to high quality research related teaching. Professors often act as Directors for Masters programmes. They may demonstrate leadership through the development and successful promotion and administration of new Masters programmes, or through the development, enhancement or growth of existing programmes.

  1. What are the norms for Professors devising and teaching undergraduate courses in your discipline?

Geography as a discipline has a strongly inclusive ethos, with a widely shared expectation across leading Departments that Professorial staff will be actively engaged in the development of the discipline through inspirational undergraduate teaching.

EXTERNAL ENGAGEMENT AND IMPACT

  1. What are the norms for external involvement in your discipline within University of London, UK universities, international HE activity etc. that indicate a) a reasonable performance; b) a high performance?

There are differences of emphasis across different subdisciplines in Geography, and the nature of the discipline means that some contributions will be interdisciplinary or to a more general arts, social science or science community. A reasonable performance would be indicated by activities such as: external examining; PhD examining in the London system and for other universities in UK and internationally; peer-review activities, particularly service on RCUK peer review panels or colleges.

High performance would be indicated by leadership roles with learned societies; by subject panel or wider leadership roles in RCUK, BA and similar organisations, where the funding agenda is being developed or shaped; by service on REF panels, and particularly leadership roles related to REF; significant service in disciplinary benchmarking activities, and in the development of the school curriculum. High performance is also indicated by successful editorship of major disciplinary and interdisciplinary journals.

  1. What particular forms of external academic, and where relevant non-academic, impact would indicate an acceptable and high performance in your discipline?

All professorial staff are expected to promote their work, and the wider work of the Department and Discipline, and should be demonstrably committed to outreach and public engagement, including schools outreach. There are different expectations and opportunities associated with different subdisciplines. High performance could be associated with work that has significant measurable economic impact, as for example as associated with environmental, resource or hazard management, or with urban or economic development. High impact by geographers has also been associated with cultural heritage, with associations with major museums and other cultural institutions being a significant feature of recent developments. Impact by geographers is also focused on key contributions to public policy, notably in the areas of foreign and security policy, and in the shaping of national and international policies on development or sustainability.

Assessment of impact will involve recognition of the significance of the external collaboration, and the sustained nature of external relationships. Exceptional performance may involve key strategic decision making in external bodies, shaping institutional direction – this could include government, cultural sector and heritage organisations and commercial companies; leading roles in expert advice and policy-making, associated with for example Parliamentary Committees, UN organisations etc.; shaping of national and international agendas through leading roles in think-tanks, independent research centres and research foundations; major forms of public engagement such as exhibitions, public performances and significant digital events and resources . Exceptional performance may be marked by activities that involve external funding, such as knowledge-transfer grants, partnerships, and major consultancy appointments.

It should be noted that Collaborative PhD projects have been a core element of impact and engagement for Geography at Royal Holloway, and Professorial work in securing and completing these, as well as contributions to wider CDA/CASE activities is seen as a significant contribution.

  1. What kind and volume of Third Stream activity (including patents, spin-outs, outreach, knowledge transfer, consultancies, cultural interventions etc.) of benefit to the College etc. would be important in your discipline?

Third stream activity such as patents and spin-outs in the discipline is strongly focused in a few major centres, and would generally be assessed either as a sui-generis situation, or else assessed in a wider context of impact and research quality. Outreach, knowledge transfer, consultancies, cultural interventions which are all strong features of the disciplinary culture are normally evaluated as elements of external engagement and impact, rather than in terms of direct third stream income.

LEADERSHIP AND ENHANCEMENT

  1. What forms of leadership, internal and external, command respect in your discipline?

UK Geography is strongly focused on individual Departments and Schools, and successful leadership of the Department commands high respect. REF, recruitment, research income and NSS attainment would all be indicators of successful leadership. Geography as a discipline has a strong ethos of all-round contribution and team-working. Other Professorial leadership roles could therefore take the form of Research leadership, such as REF lead, Chair of Research or Director of Research Groups, but also contributions in the leadership of teaching, curriculum development, examinations and assessment, and other student centred activities.