ABSTRACT
Applications of 'big data' and 'broad data' within higher education institutions (HEIs) are still at a relatively early stage, given their longer-term possibilities. The main motivation behind The Metric Tide was a desire by government to look afresh at whether metrics could play a greater role in the next cycle of the Research Excellence Framework (REF). When The Metric Tide was published, it provoked a lively debate in the UK and further afield. Despite the spread of opinion encountered over the course of the review, members of the review group were encouraged by the degree of consensus in support of both the authors' detailed recommendations and the broader idea of responsible metrics. One of the conclusions of The Metric Tide, and of related initiatives like Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), and the Leiden Manifesto, is the need for ongoing effort to shift institutional cultures, practices and incentive frameworks that sustain damaging or irresponsible use of metrics.
