Depositing physical outputs

All outputs included in a submission that are not sourced by the REF team or uploaded as PDFs to the submission system must be provided as physical outputs for assessment. Physical outputs may be submitted in hardcopy form, in digital or other media on CD, DVD or USB, or as a combination of these.

Outputs deposited in digital or other media on CD, DVD or USB must be in commonly accessible formats.

Artefacts, devices, products and items of great rarity or value should not be deposited. A representation of the output and sufficient imformation about the research it embodies should be provided to enable the panel to assess it, without providing the item itself. However, institutions should be prepared to make the item available should panel members request to view it. In these instances the REF team will make the necessary arrangements with the institution.

Each physical output must be deposited as a seperate item or package (whether in hardcopy, on CD, DVD, or USB or a combination of these). Multiple outputs must not be provided on a single CD, DVD or USB.

Where the same physical output, of any type, is submitted twice to the same unit of assessment, the institution need only supply it once. In these cases the output should be labelled twice (see below) to identify both members of staff against which the output is being submitted. If the institution submits the same physical output more than once in different units of assessments, a separate copy must be supplied for each unit of assessment, individually labelled.

Where reserve outputs have been identified for double-weighted outputs, these should also be deposited.

Please see further information on labelling, packaging and delivery of outputs.