And the Winner Is...'Sometimes Humorous'

'Tired and emotional'

Yes, I was as startled as I looked. At last week's ARMA Conference I was given the Piirus Technology and Innovation and Application Award for services to scurrilous blogging. Well, that wasn't quite the citation: instead it was for 'a well regarded, innovative and sometimes humorous blog'. I loved that final phrase: 'sometimes humorous'. It's deliciously (and I'm sure, unintentional) faint praise, and very much in keeping with the spirit of the blog.

In Memoriam

So. Farewell then
1994 Group

'Sort of a bit like
the Russell Group.
Just a bit smaller and leafier'.

Yes, that could have been
your catchphrase.

But you were sat on
by an elephant.

We loved you
Even if we weren't
Entirely sure
What you stood for.

E J Thribb
(apologies to Private Eye) 

You're Better than That

Well, it feels like an awfully long time since I last posted. 17 Dec! That's almost a month. In the intervening period I've managed to forget everything I once knew, but I'm sure it'll come back to me. Just remind me, what does REF stand for again?

In the meantime the Times Higher gave me a gift that would warm the heart of any research manager: they published my letter. Whilst I live in the county that gave the world 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells', I hope the final piece doesn't come across like that:

For those of you who can't read my shaky mobile phone photo, here's the text online. They had to edit it slightly because of space constrictions (eg I gave the figures for 2010-11 as well), but I hope my point came across. What I was wanting to highlight was the fact that it's very easy to make assumptions based on institutional reputation. Everyone would assume that Russell Group or 94 Group universities would outperform a non-aligned university like the OU. However, when you question this it reveals some surprises.

But the publication of my letter was as a molehill next to the Everest-like achievement of my Private Eye Lookalike publication. I may have forgotten everything I know, but this will stay with me forever.

Private Eye Lookalikes: 4* Output?

Having cut my teeth (metaphorically) on the great and the good from RCUK (for example here, here and here) I have finally reached the acme of the lookalike world. Never mind an article in Nature, there is no more prestigious publication in the lookalike discipline than Private Eye.

My life is complete. However, it does beg the question: is this a REFable output? If so, what is the impact factor of Private Eye? Is there an H index for lookalikes? How can I track my citations? Do 'likes' on Facebook count? *Sigh* Having reached this acme, I realise that all I've done is open up a world of academic angst...