RAG Rating

This rating is guidance for higher education institutions to consider the value of the content of the research output and determine whether the full content of the research output should be uploaded or whether to only upload the title, contact details and abstract, for example.

If you are a user of the repository you are unlikely to see the RAG status of the uploaded content. Also, you must not assume that the quality of the work is low if you are only able to access the title, contact details and abstract for any item in the repository. There are a number of reasons that academics and researchers may not want the full content of the research output uploaded onto the repository at this time. Reasons could include:

  • Research output contains sensitive information
  • Research is part of a wider project that is still ongoing
  • Research is in the process of being published (therefore may currently be embargoed)
  • Institution does not permit full content to be uploaded to the repository.

RAG means Black, Red, Amber, Green and is essentially a traffic light system with the following meanings suggested:

  • Black: research output not fit for purpose
    • data is very limited and may be unreliable
    • interpretations are minimal and incorrect
    • very poorly written
  • Red: overall output quality is not great, but the data/content may be of some use
    • data may be unreliable
    • interpretations are not typically correct
    • output quite poorly written
  • Amber: output and/or data of average/reasonable quality
    • data is good
    • interpretations are generally good
    • writing and presentation could be improved
  • Green: good quality output or innovative project
    • data is excellent
    • interpretations are excellent
    • generally very well written and presented thesis

Regardless of the RAG rating, the outputs submitted to the repository in full may be prone to spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors as these have not been adapted from the students’ original submission and have not undergone a journal publication peer-review process.

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