State of Australian University Research 2018-19

In ERA some research outputs do not take the form of published books, book chapters, journal articles or conference publications. These are referred to as non-traditional research outputs (NTROs). Examples of NTROs include:

• original creative works
• live performance of creative works
• recorded/rendered creative works
• curated or produced substantial public exhibitions and events
• research reports for an external body
• portfolio

In ERA 2018, a total of 4,266 original creative works, 892 live performances, 901 recorded or rendered works, 626 curated or exhibited events, 3,573 research reports for an external body, and 880 portfolios were submitted by eligible institutions. See Section 4 for a more detailed breakdown.

Non-traditional research outputs provide an important insight into applied research in a range of disciplines, and creative and practitioner-based research in the humanities and social sciences (HASS). In addition, the provision within the ERA framework for portfolios allows for related works that demonstrate coherent research content to be submitted and reviewed as a single output. This is particularly important in the case of applied, creative and practitioner-based research, where a body of work needs to be viewed as a whole so that the full significance of the research involved can be considered.

For the HASS disciplines in ERA, the largest research output type reported within NTROs were original creative works, followed by research reports. The data show the number of NTRO research output types and also show NTROs as a percentage of total research output.

The FoR with the highest number of non-traditional research outputs submitted for assessment was 19 Studies in Creative Arts and Writing (5,950). The largest NTRO output type for this FoR code was original creative works (3,211). Built Environment and Design (FoR 12) had the second highest number of NTROs (1,439) and original creative works were also the largest output type for NTROs in that code (859).

The FoR code with the highest number of NTROs submitted in ERA 2018 was 19 Studies in Creative Arts and Writing. NTROs account for almost half of all research outputs in this field of research. Original creative works represent the greatest proportion of all non-traditional research outputs for this code (54 per cent). Of all the four-digit FoR codes in this discipline, 1905 Visual Arts and Crafts had the highest number of original creative works 1,794.1 and comprising 63 per cent of the total research output for this four-digit FoR. See 'Research Outputs by Type' in Section 4 for a more detailed breakdown.

The FoR code with the second highest number of NTROs submitted in ERA 2018 was 12 Built Environment and Design (1,439). Original creative works represent the greatest proportion (60 per cent) of all non-traditional research outputs for this code. Of all the four-digit FoR codes in this discipline, 1201 Architecture had the highest number of original creative works submitting 595.8 and comprising 70 per cent of the NTROs for this four-digit FoR. See Section 4 for a more detailed breakdown.