The research record criterion looks at the quality and international reach of your publications — journals, monographs, and citation impact. The peer recognition criterion looks at how the academic community formally recognises your contribution — prizes, learned society fellowships, editorial roles, and keynote invitations. You need strong evidence for at least one of these two criteria to satisfy your two required assessment criteria.
Research record and publications
The British Academy assesses the research record criterion on the quality and international standing of your research outputs, not on quantity. A single highly influential monograph with Oxford University Press may be stronger evidence than a dozen articles in mid-tier journals.
What counts for research record
- Peer-reviewed articles in internationally recognised journals — journals indexed in the Arts & Humanities Citation Index (AHCI) or Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), or journals recognised as top-tier in your specific discipline. For Philosophy: Mind, Journal of Philosophy, Philosophical Review. For History: American Historical Review, Past & Present, Journal of Modern History. For Economics: top field journals like the Economic Journal, Journal of Economic History.
- Books and monographs with internationally leading academic presses — Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Harvard University Press, Princeton University Press, Yale University Press, University of Chicago Press, Stanford University Press, Routledge (major series), Bloomsbury Academic, Edinburgh University Press, University of California Press, MIT Press.
- Citation impact relative to your field and career stage — humanities citation counts are low compared to sciences, so absolute numbers matter less than relative position. Being cited across institutions in multiple countries demonstrates international reach. Google Scholar H-index and per-paper citations are the most commonly used metrics.
- Edited volumes with leading presses — where you are the named editor of a collection published by a major academic press, and the volume has received international academic attention (reviews in leading journals).
- Monograph with OUP reviewed in three international journals
- Articles in AHCI-indexed journals that have been cited by researchers in 5+ countries
- Edited volume with CUP featuring chapters by internationally recognised scholars
- Citation profile showing steady international engagement over 5+ years
- Articles only in predatory or low-impact journals
- Conference proceedings without peer review
- Self-published or non-academic press publications
- Citations only from your own institution or co-authors
- Working papers or online-only publications without formal peer review
Peer recognition and prizes
The peer recognition criterion asks whether the academic community and prestigious external bodies formally recognise your contribution to the field. The recognition must come from external bodies, not your own institution, and must reflect genuine peer assessment.
Prizes and awards
- British Academy Medal, British Academy Book Prize, or other British Academy prizes
- Wolfson History Prize, Baillie Gifford Prize (non-fiction), Philip Leverhulme Prize
- Royal Historical Society prizes, Political Studies Association prizes, British Sociological Association prizes
- International prizes in your field — American Historical Association awards, Modern Language Association awards, etc.
- Major national prizes in your home country (if applying from abroad)
Learned society fellowships
- Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) — the most prestigious humanities and social science fellowship in the UK
- Fellow of the Royal Historical Society (FRHistS)
- Fellowships of discipline-specific learned societies (Royal Economic Society, Political Studies Association, etc.) where these carry genuine peer-elected status
- Fellowship of international equivalents — American Academy of Arts and Sciences, Académie des sciences morales et politiques (France), etc.
Editorial and peer review roles
- Editorial board membership at a top-ranked journal in your field — note this must be a named board position, not just ad hoc reviewing
- Invited peer reviewer for AHRC, ESRC, ERC (European Research Council), Leverhulme Trust, or equivalent major funding bodies — not just occasional refereeing
- Guest editor of a special issue in a leading journal
- Series editor for a major academic press book series
Keynote and invited speaking
- Keynote or plenary speaker at a major international conference — must be invited, not submitted
- Named lectureships (e.g., Oxford Clarendon Lectures, Cambridge Maitland Lectures, named visiting lectures at major universities)
- Invited talks at the world's leading universities in your field — Harvard, Yale, Oxford, Cambridge, Columbia, Chicago, etc.