CASS recognised for world-class research
The ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) has been recognised for its high-quality research across its many disciplines, through the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) initiative.
The ERA, managed by the Australian Research Council, assesses research quality in Australia’s higher education institutions using a combination of indicators and expert review. The 2010 ERA assessed research outputs from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2008.
The table below outlines the ratings CASS received across its research disciplines, including a comparison with the Australian average. Five CASS disciplines were rated ‘5 – well above world standard’: Political Science, Historical Studies, Linguistics, Philosophy, and Archaeology. The following were assessed as ‘4 – above world standard’: Sociology, Language Studies, Cultural Studies and Anthropology. A further six disciplines were rated as ‘3 – world standard’: Policy and Administration, Demography, Education, Visual Arts and Crafts, Literary Studies, and Performing Arts and Creative Writing.
| FoR Name | Institutional Rating | ERA 2010 Australian Average | Difference |
| Political Science | 5 | 2.3 | 2.7 |
| Historical Studies | 5 | 3.1 | 1.9 |
| Linguistics | 5 | 3.3 | 1.7 |
| Philosophy | 5 | 3.3 | 1.7 |
| Archaeology | 5 | 3.5 | 1.5 |
| Sociology | 4 | 2.4 | 1.6 |
| Language Studies | 4 | 2.8 | 1.2 |
| Cultural Studies | 4 | 2.9 | 1.1 |
| Anthropology | 4 | 3.1 | 0.9 |
| Policy & Administration | 3 | 2.0 | 1 |
| Demography | 3 | 2.2 | 0.8 |
| Education | 3 | 2.2 | 0.8 |
| Visual Arts & Crafts | 3 | 2.6 | 0.4 |
| Literary Studies | 3 | 3.0 | 0 |
| Performing Arts & Creative Writing | 3 | 3.1 | -0.1 |
All CASS staff are to be congratulated for their contributions to the high-quality research conducted in the College, which reaffirms the Australian National University’s reputation as a research institution of national and international significance.
Further information: ERA initiative.
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