Bowrey, Kathy --- "Assessing Research Performance in the Discipline of Law, 2006-2011" [2012] UNSWLRS 17

Last Updated: 16 May 2012

Assessing Research Performance in the Discipline of Law, 2006-2011

Professor Kathy Bowrey, University of New South Wales

This paper is available for download at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2060801

Citation

This article is a Report to Council of Australian Law Deans 2012. This paper may also be referenced as [2012] UNSWLRS 17.

Abstract

This report surveys the current state of research assessment in the discipline of law in Australia. Its purpose is to document what is already known in light of the discipline’s participation in government-led research performance assessment initiatives from 2006 to 2011 and to draw out the challenges in assessing research quality that Law faces in the future. The report is in four parts, which, combined, provide a clearer empirical foundation for assessing existing research areas and publication opportunities for legal researchers.

Part One: Assessing Law Outputs explains the Higher Education Research Data Collection (HERDC) in relation to law. Part Two: Research Assessment Codes evaluates the fit of FOR codes with current legal research areas, making recommendations for appropriate accommodation of several new research specialisations to provide a clearer picture of the diversity of legal research and assist in assignment of grant assessors. Part Three: Specialist Law Journal Ranking provides a brief explanation of the heritage of the ARC ERA2010 journal ranking list and a discussion of its reliability. It also evaluates current research specialisations with respect to journal rankings in order to provide feedback on areas where little is known about publication venues. Part Four: General Law Journal Ranking analyses ERA 2010 ranked A and A* Australian General Law Journals by subject area and author alignment, to provide a clearer understanding of the ambit of these prestigious publication venues.

Neither the report nor its recommendations have been formally endorsed by CALD at this time.