Meta Research
Meta-research, or research-on-research, examines the methods, practices, dissemination, and reporting standards of scholarly research to improve quality, efficiency, transparency, and research culture. By identifying biases and inefficiencies and encouraging best practices, meta-research helps foster a more ethical, inclusive, and effective research environment while enhancing the reliability and impact of scientific work across disciplines.
Meta-research draws on a growing evidence base of data on research systems, outputs, and higher education institutions. This evidence base both underpins the practice of Research Managers and Administrators (RMAs) and incorporates research on the changing roles and career experiences of RMAs. Therefore, there is increased interest in both professional practice research which seeks to understand the activities and contributions of RMAs, as well as a need for RMA input into the wider field of research-on-research.
The Meta Research SIG supports RMA colleagues interested in understanding, utilising, and contributing to research on the research ecosystem in which we work. It achieves this through:
Encouraging discussion, reflection and empirical research around the role of RMAs in the research lifecycle.
Providing RMAs with the skills and confidence to undertake their own meta-research projects
Facilitating collaboration between RMAs and academic colleagues.
Providing opportunities for colleagues to share their research on the development of professional RMA practice or related meta-research topics.
Sharing information on meta-research events and funding opportunities and, where possible, facilitating access for RMA colleagues.
Working with ARMA, scholarly publishers, funders and policymakers to explore funding or publication opportunities for RMA-led meta-research projects.
This SIG was formerly known as the Research into RMA and changed its name in November 2024.
Champions:
Our Special Interest Group champions are responsible for the activity and resource base of the group.
Dr Amy Milligan, Head of Research Support and Administration, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
I entered academia as a historian, specialising in the history of reading and publishing. I hold a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, an M.A. from the Institute of English Studies in London, and a doctorate from Oxford. After working as a lecturer and finishing a postdoc on the history of Oxford University Press, I swapped writing about publishing for actually practicing it. I’ve since worked on all kinds of publications, including reference books, digital archives, and scholarly journals. Last year I changed direction again to take up a role as Head of Research Support at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
I joined the SIG because I’m fascinated by how research works – how it’s designed, regulated, managed, funded, assessed, and communicated. I’m committed to helping researchers and administrators to build inclusive research communities, to plan rigorous and ethical research, and to communicate their research responsibly and impactfully.
When I’m not working for Oxford or ARMA, I spend my time singing with a chamber choir, pottering in the garden, reading (and occasionally writing) historical fiction, or travelling to anywhere I can swim, paddleboard, or mess about in boats.
Alix Brodie-Wray, Faculty Impact Development Manager, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures, University of Leeds
I am an experienced research and impact support professional having worked in professional roles in higher education for twenty years. I am a passionate advocate for research supporters and enablers and keen to improve experiences for non-academic and academic adjacent staff in HE.
Currently I am Faculty Impact Development Manager for the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures at the University of Leeds – having worked in the faculty for ten years. Working in the impact realm has fed my interest in the processes and mechanisms of research and impact – particularly the less tangible elements of assessment and evaluation. I recently co-led the latter stages of an internal Research Culture project examining the experiences of research support professionals and enablers in our faculty. I led the Faculty Organisation and Culture working group for our successful submission for an Athena Swan bronze award which offered key insights into experiences of staff in a variety of roles. During my time here I have also worked on top of roles as a research assistant and in a variety of voluntary capacities: in Special Collections and the Yorkshire Fashion Archive.
Prior to my time at Leeds I worked at the University of Brighton for ten years moving between student and programme support to research support with a focus on the ESRC disciplines. I also coordinated the early stages of our work on the researcher development Concordat.
I have a BA in English from Goldsmiths and an MA in Modernism from the University of Sussex. I also spent some time as a part-time PGR at Goldsmiths. I am an amateur musician, archive volunteer and maker-of-things.
Dr Christopher Daley, Head of R&I Evidence and Analysis, London School of Economics and Political Science
Chris holds a PhD in English Literature from the University of Westminster and originally worked in academia before moving into research management roles. Between 2014 and 2017 he was part of Brunel University London’s scholarly communication team. In this role, Chris promoted open scholarship practices, monitored REF open access compliance, and supported the university’s research information systems. Since then, Chris has worked in research development positions, initially at Brunel, and more recently at Royal Holloway, University of London. In September 2023, Chris joined LSE in a role which involves developing an R&I evidence and analysis function to support the objectives of LSE’s research strategy.
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