Elements' submission functionality includes the facility to generate a REF2021 submission XML file which includes the following content:

• Research Groups

• REF1 Researchers

• REF2 Research Outputs

Upon generating a submission XML file, it can be manually uploaded into the REF Submission System.

Details on the submission screen and XML file generation are available here.

We will not be offering any specific 'freezing' functionality within Elements.  We recommend the following to ensure that you have a static version of the data submitted to REF:

• Export all REF stock reports / bulk action downloads from Elements immediately following your last XML download from Elements

• Save your last REF XML download from Elements

• Make a copy of your Elements database (offering the possibility of building a static instance should the need arise during the audit phase) 

  • If you are a hosted customer, please get in touch with us well in advance of the submission deadline so we can coordinate appropriately

• Export all possible reports / submission formats from the REF submission system following submit

As at 5 February 2021, we don't intend to make any further REF-related releases prior to the 31 March 2021 submission deadline given that most institutions don't plan on taking any further patches.  However, some small system issues have been recently flagged that you may wish to be aware of:

• Manage REF1 researcher screen

  • The FTE filter for 'Between 0.2 and 0.29 (inclusive)' is returning people with 0.3 FTE.

• Manage REF2 Research Outputs screen

  • The REF OA status submitted filter can return outputs as 'Not compliant' where the REF2 Output type is out of scope of the policy (this happens where the default REF2 Output type is either D or E, but this has been overwritten).  

• REF2 Author contribution statements in Panels C and D

  • While the REF documentation does not state this, the Author contribution statement is disabled in Panels C and D.  If this data is provided in the Elements submission XML, it will generate a submission error.  As the field is not enabled in the REF Submission System UI, the only way to remove the data from the submission is to export affected outputs to Excel (this can be done by JSON and XML however excel would make this easier), delete the data in this field then merge import the data back in. This way the data will be removed and the validation error will no longer show.

  • To remove the data in the Elements REF2, you can use the REF1 Author Contributions bulk job.