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The 2001 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) conducted by the higher education funding councils shows the quality of social work research in the UK's universities at a 10-year high. In the past decade RAEs have been conducted in 1992, 1996 and 2001.

The higher education funding councils introduced a seven-point grading system in 1996, on which universities are graded from 1 to 5*, according to peer-judgments of research quality, as outlined in the table below.

The key trends in social work research over this period indicate:

• A slight decline in the number of institutions entering the RAE (34 in 1992; 32 in 1996; and 30 in 2001). However, consistency in research activity is evidenced in that 16 universities have featured in each of the three RAEs.
• An improvement in the quality of social work research - the number of universities achieving a grading of 5 or 5* increasing from two (5.9 per cent) in 1992 to five (15.6 per cent) in 1996 and eight (26.7 per cent) in 2001.
• An increase in the total number of "research active" social work researchers from 294.7 full-time equivalents (all the figures below are for full-time equivalents) in 1992 to 383 in 2001.
• An increasing concentration of researchers in high-scoring institutions. In 1992, some 30.9 (10.5 per cent) of all social work researchers were employed in institutions ranked as either 5 or 5*. By 1996 this had increased to 78.1 (22.1 per cent) and by 2001 to 147.4 (38.5 per cent).

For universities, this is not just the grading and league table positioning; it makes a significant difference to research income. And while there was an above-inflation increase in RAE funding for 2002-3 across all subject areas, this did not match the increase in "top-rated" research, and only 5* rated departments saw their RAE income protected. This is the downside for social work research. While all universities submitting in 1992 and 1996 received some RAE funding, only those scoring 3a or above will receive funding after 2001.

Furthermore, universities that have merely consolidated but not improved their grading face real cuts. Those graded 5 in both 1996 and 2001 are now facing a 12.3 per cent cut in RAE income, while those graded 3a in both RAEs are contemplating a 62.7 per cent reduction. Only one university, Bristol, received a 5* grade for social work in 2001.

This does not simply set the scene for short-term funding; the 2001 RAE provides the basis for research funding at least until 2005-6 and possibly longer, depending on when universities' research income is next reviewed. Some universities are considering whether it is worth their while undertaking research at all.

The major hope for the future of UK social work research, despite significant improvement in the last decade, rests in the Higher Education Funding Councils' planned review of research assessment.

All RAE results can be viewed in full at www.hero.ac.uk/rae/index.htm

Eric Blyth is professor of social work at the University of Huddersfield.

Grades and definitions used in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise

Grade Levels of national and international excellence in research activity

5* -  International excellence in more than half and national excellence in the remainder

5 - International excellence in up to half and national excellence in virtually all of the remainder

4 - National excellence in virtually all and some evidence of international excellence

3a - National excellence in over two- thirds and possibly some evidence of international excellence

3b - National excellence in more than half

2 - National excellence in up to half

1 - National excellence in none, or virtually none