Making research more equitable and more effective

Simon Hettrick

26 June 2025 - NTO Workshop, Liverpool     ORCID: 0000-0002-6809-5195

If we don't recognise everyone that is vital to research,

we limit our ability to conduct research.

See no

NTOs

Hear about no NTOs

Discuss no NTOs

Vicious cycle: NTO version

A bit of history

www.software.ac.uk

Use software

Fundamental to results

69%

92%

n=417

Researcher

Software

Engineer

Research

Software

Engineer

>10,000 RSEs worldwide

Image courtesy Dan Katz

Why did it take until the 2010s to recognise that software is so fundamentally important to research?

WHY ARE WE HERE?

Discovery, reliability, reproducibility, transparency.

Publications are the Bhurj Khalifa

Height = 830 m

Exhibitions are a typical UK bungalow

Height = 3.5 m

Software is a lego person wearing a top hat

Height = 5 cm

2021 REF at Liverpool

What are the dangers of using...

Publications

...as the only metric of research success?

Show me the incentive and I will show you the outcome

- Charlie Munger

People who are

vital to research

People who are named in publications

Academics

RSEs, Technicians,

Librarians, Data

Stewards, PRISMS,

RMAs... and more

The Venn of academic importance and recognition

Recognising not-traditionally submitted outputs (NTOs) and all the people needed to conduct research (Hidden Roles) makes research more equitable and more effective.

What are the barriers to change?

  1. Fear of affecting funding
  2. Lack of awareness
  3. Lack of guidance
  4. Inherent difficulty of comparison

 

Recognising all research outputs and every role that makes research possible

 

www.hidden-ref.org

  • Training materials and courses
  • Grimpact
  • Citizen science
  • Enabling access to facilities
  • Community building
  • Standards

New categories

The Hidden Role

CC-BY William Murphy 

Data stewards and managers, Librarians, Technicians, Lived Experience Contributors (including patients), Research Software Engineers, PRISMS (Professional Research Investment and Strategy Managers), Professional Services Personnel, Public Engagement Professionals (PEPs), RMAs (Research Managers and Administrators) and Clinical Trials Managers.

Impact

BREAKING

NEWS

2025-2030

Text

Thinktank, Birmingham

7-8 October 2025

If we recognise everyone that is vital to research,

we advance our ability to conduct research.

Exercise 1:

What NTOs have you worked with?

 

    A group discussion about the NTOs that make research possible. These may be from your own research or from the research you work with or facilitate. You can stick to the REF output list or deviate from it.

 

Once you have identified NTOs, discuss their role and whether they are appropriately recognised.

 

Notes at: https://tinyurl.com/NTOLiverpoolEx1

Thank you!

@sjh5000

ORCID: 0000-0002-6809-5195, EPSRC Grant no: EP/S021779/1

Licence

 © Simon Hettrick. These slides are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International : https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.

Link to slides

https://slides.com/simonhettrick/talk-1-nto-workshop-liv-june-2025

Image credits

  • Earth rise: public domain with thanks to NASA
  • Bhurj Khalifa: CC-BY-SA courtesy Donaldytong
  • Bungalow: CC-BY-SA courtesy Peter Wyatt
  • Lego man: CC-BY courtesy Brickset