Research

We are a research intensive College with our academic staff and postgraduate students conducting internationally-recognised research across all disciplines.

Research in Arab and Islamic Studies

The 2008 RAE rated Arab and Islamic Studies research activity as 80% "internationally recognised". 15% is rated as "world leading" - the highest accolade represented by the "4*" category.

The 'Research Intensity' rating shows 91% of staff were returned for this RAE - which is very high for the UK university sector.

It is worth noting that since the RAE cut-off date in 2007, staff have brought in several large new research grants and Arab and Islamic Studies has further expanded its staff numbers by 50%; new research initiatives continue apace.

Other research information

• The Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies provides outstanding facilities for the high-calibre research staff, students and visiting scholars from around the world. With all staff, postgraduate research facilities, classrooms, the Arab World Documentation Unit and social areas occupying the same purpose-designed building, the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies has created an ideal environment for a vibrant research community.
• The Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies hosts a cosmopolitan group of over 70 research students, across the whole range of specialisms represented in the Institute.

Research in Education

Research in Education is ranked as fifth best in the UK. The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise rates 90 per cent of research as of international quality, with 20 per cent being awarded the highest accolade of ‘world leading’ and given 4 stars.

Exeter was one of 159 higher education institutions submitted to the RAE which measures the quality of research across the higher education sector. RAE expert panels assessed more than 200,000 pieces of work from 52,500 staff. The results will be used to distribute £1.5 billion a year worth of research funding to UK universities from August 2009.

Since the last RAE in 2001 Exeter has shown significant improvements in:

• The amount of internationally-rated research: more than 90 per cent is now internationally rated compared to 57 per cent in 2001.
• The number of staff submitted: Exeter submitted 636 staff compared to 457 in 2001. Some 95 per cent of staff were submitted which is amongst the highest in the sector.
• The proportion of research in the very highest 4* category: now 17 per cent compared to two per cent in 2001.

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter Professor Steve Smith said: ‘These results show a significant improvement since 2001. Particularly pleasing is the increase in the amount of 4* rated research. We have achieved our targets in terms of research outputs and we will be looking to build on this result as we go forward.’

The RAE rates research across a five point scale ranging from ungraded to 4*. The higher the grade the more research funding is achieved. Grades 2*, 3* and 4* denote ascending grades of international research quality. 34 per cent of research at Exeter falls into 2*, 39 per cent at 3* and 17 per cent at 4*.

Research in Law

The strategy of the Law School reflects our commitment to excellence in research. Our research profile includes the doctrinal, socio-legal, historical, theoretical and empirical, and our strategy aims further to strengthen this diversity of approaches and our clusters of excellence.

Research Assessment Exercise

In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise, the UK government’s main measure of quality of universities’ research, 75 per cent of research from the Law School was judged to be of international quality, with 45 per cent rated as either world leading or internationally excellent.

Research groups

Research in the School is arranged into a number of key groups as shown below. The research interests of our staff are wide-ranging; find out more detailed information about specific research topics.

• Common Law and Doctrinal Law
• European and Comparative Law
• International and Human Rights Law
• Legal History
• Socio-Legal (including Humanities)
• Theoretical

Research in Politics

The 2008 Research Assessment Exercise confirms the status of the department as a leading centre of research on politics and international relations. Politics at Exeter is among the top 6 departments in the UK comparing the highest standards of world leading research.  85% of our research output is of international quality.

Other research information

With an annual research income in excess of 720k, it enjoys the support of the Economic and Social, the Arts and Humanities, and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Councils, European sources such as EU and European Science Foundation, and Charitable Foundations such as Nuffield, Cadbury and Leverhulme.  The results of its research are published in all the major political science journals and by the major Anglophone and continental academic and University Presses such as Blackwell, Sage, Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia, Maison des Sciences de l'Homme, Amsterdam, Kluwer, Peter Lang, etc.

Our Research interests fall into five clusters of interest: 

• Comparative Political Behaviour & Institutions
• International Studies
• Middle Eastern and North African Politics
• Political Theory
• Public Policy

Research in Sociology and Philosophy

The Department of Sociology and Philosophy is determinedly interdisciplinary in its focus. Our work draws together a focus on cultural and theoretical sociology, science and technology studies (STS) and the philosophy of the sciences (in particular biology and social science). We are committed to the idea that drawing sociology and philosophy together, and in ways that include empirical philosophy, enriches both fields.

Many of us have specialist training in areas outside our home disciplines, in fields such as chemistry, biochemistry, music and anthropology. Overall our interests fall into three main clusters: (a) philosophy of science and social science, (b) culture, science and technology and (c) cultural sociology. More specific topics of study include: gerontology, religion and spirituality, practical ethics, aesthetics and the arts, the history of mathematics, material culture, genetics, sport, leisure and consumption, the military, war and animal-human relations. In 2008, we received a national ranking of 8th as part of the Research Assessment Exercise.

The Department is home to the ESRC Centre for the study of Genomics in Society (Egenis), directed by Professor John Dupre.