Preparing your REF2021 Impact Case Study for submission

If you are working on your final draft REF2021 ICS the key information is available via the ‘Preparing your REF2021 ICS – Final draft ICS’ link below. In addition the following pages provide more detailed guidance and advice on each aspect of preparing your REF2021 Impact Case Study for submission.

Preparing your REF2021 ICS – Final draft ICS

  • What do we mean by a ‘final’ draft REF2021 Impact Case Study?
  • Key dates & eligibility criteria
  • Formatting text
  • Presenting numeric data
  • Template length and indicative word counts
  • Links to REF2021 guidance publications and FAQs

Section A:  Title and background information

  • Use a good title
  • Period when the underpinning research was undertaken
  • Details for staff conducting the underpinning research
  • Period when the claimed impact occurred

Section B 1. Summary of the impact

Section B 2. Underpinning Research

  • Underpinning research narrative
  • Key definitions
  • What to include
  • Presentation

Section B 3. References to Research

  • Details required
  • Evidence of the quality of the research
  • Criteria and definitions of quality levels
  • Cross-referencing to Section 2 narrative

Section B 4. Details of the impact

  • Dos & don’ts
  • Standardised approach to quantitative data

Section B 5. Sources to corroborate the impact

  • Referencing
  • Grouping multiple evidence items as a single source
  • Examples of corroborating sources used in high scoring REF2014 ICS
  • Using testimonials

Preparing your REF2021 – Commercial confidentiality and security clearance

  • Arrangements for ICS that include confidential or commercially sensitive information
  • Arrangements for corroborating sources that include confidential or commercially sensitive information
  • Arranging assessment by individuals with national security vetting clearance
  • Redaction and Security arrangements

Preparing your REF2021 ICS – COVID-19 impact statement

  • Extension to the assessment period
  • Arrangements for delayed publication of underpinning research
  • Provision of ‘Affected case study statement’
  • Exemplar affected case study statements
  • Publication of affected case study statements