Following our response to the ERA consultation paper, the ARC has requested that we give feedback on the "Research Journal Ranking Review List". We are therefore asking all research active staff to review this list and provide their feedback to the Research Office by Monday 4th August.

In late 2007 the four Learned Academies and a number of discipline peak bodies undertook a journal ranking exercise to develop draft journal rankings for their relevant disciplines. The lists have been reviewed by the ARC, in consultation with the Academies and the other list providers, to remove duplication and inconsistencies.

Your feedback may include:

1. approving the existing FoR and Quality Ranking assigned to a journal;
2. adding a new journal to the list;
3. removing a journal from the list;
4. changing the quality ranking assigned to a journal;
5. removing an assigned FoR code from a journal listing; and
6. linking additional FoR codes to a journal.

The "Research Journal Ranking Review List" is in an MS-Excel workbook. Detailed instructions for providing feedback are presented on the first worksheet.

Additional background and summary of instructions, including information about the rating tiers (A*, A, B,C)

New classification to assist ERA development

New ERA for research quality

This information is taken from http://www.arc.gov.au/era/default.htm. The Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) initiative will be developed by the ARC. It will assess research quality within Australia’s higher education institutions using a combination of metrics and expert review by committees comprising experienced, internationally-recognised experts.

ERA will use leading researchers to evaluate research progressively in each of the ARC discipline clusters and several clusters covering health and medical research that will be informed by experts from the NHMRC.

ERA will detail by institution and by discipline those areas that are internationally competitive, together with emerging areas where there are opportunities for development and further investment.

ERA will start with those disciplines where the metrics are most widely accepted, for example, in the physical and biological sciences.

Consultation will continue with other disciplines about metrics appropriate to their disciplines, noting that some measures will be appropriate to all disciplines and that for all disciplines expert review of the metrics is essential.

A Discussion Paper will be released to the higher education and research sector in the near future for consultation

You will find more information about the ERA initiative by clicking on these links:

• ANZSRC
• Consultation Paper
• Contacts
• ERA Presentations
• FAQs
• Media releases
• Metrics