REF impact and the discipline of Modern Languages

Citation

Astbury K, Barclay F, Harris A & Parish N (2026) REF impact and the discipline of Modern Languages. Modern Language Review, 121 (3), pp. 322-346. https://doi.org/10.1353/mlr.00196

Abstract
In the UK, academics, including specialists in Modern Languages (ML), are obliged to engage systematically with knowledge transfer through projects established under the government’s Research Excellence Framework( REF), which formalizes such activities under the term ‘ impact’, hitherto little studied in relation to ML. This article outlines the ML impact landscape in the UK, explores the place of Impact Case Studiesin ML research with reference to REF 2014, 2021, and 2029, and presents recommendations for REF processesto improve ML visibilitytogether with guidance on impactwith a view to strengthening the future of the discipline.