ABSTRACT
early career researchers (ECRs) are quite susceptible to experiencing cognitive dissonance, i.e., a discomfort caused by holding conflicting elements of knowledge. One often hears, as an ECR, about the importance of ‘disseminating’ researchers’ work effectively and demonstrating its ‘real-world impact’ beyond the academic context. Requirements of the research excellence framework (REF) focus the authors thinking on the rationale for her research and what can be achieved, and it discourages her from doing research just for research’s sake. The REF, in many ways, is a positive framework and aspiration for her to work towards; as a researcher, it makes her accountable to governing bodies, her organisation and, most importantly, to the public. The highlights of her portfolio include developing an intervention for men who have used violence in relationships, scoping out the characteristics of perpetrators of child sexual exploitation, and examining non-consensual sharing of sexually explicit media in university students.
