The majority of research in UoA 39, Politics and International Studies is officially classified as world-leading, internationally excellent or recognised internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour, having been placed in the three highest categories for quality in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.
| Quality Level | 4* | 3* | 2* | 1* | Unclassified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % of research activity | 15 | 25 | 35 | 25 | 0 |
In RAE 2001 we were awarded grade 5. During the assessment period, we have further enhanced our strength in our three principal areas of research:
We are part of the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology. The School is developing interdisciplinary research amongst its three constituent units, especially in the field of International Politics.
The University’s Research Institutes facilitate cross-School collaboration. Through the Institute for Research on Environment and Sustainability (IRES), Bell, Gray, Trottier and Zito have collaborated with the University’s many other environmental researchers. The Newcastle Institute for Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (NIASSH) promotes research across the Faculty. All of the group activities within our three research fields assume an interdisciplinary form, and our staff participate in other interdisciplinary groups, such as the Human Rights Research Group based in Law, and the Post-Colonial Research Group based in English.
Our research expenditure since January 2001 approaches £1.2m, while the research awards we have won during the period exceed £1.6m.
The 20 staff submitted for this RAE compares with 14 for RAE2001. Our current staff have published 30 books, 161 journal articles, 112 chapters in edited collections, and 17 research reports during the period. Staff edit three major journals: African Affairs, Globalizations and the Journal of Moral Philosophy.
Half of category A staff have held competitive research fellowships during the period and more than half have been visiting professors or fellows.
During 2001-07 research postgraduates in registration have averaged 45 annually (24.1 FT, 20.9 PT). Forty four students have held Research Council Awards, 51 have been awarded PhDs and three have gained MPhils.