Private Law Theory

ABSTRACT
Discussions of academic writing often foreground intellectual curiosity and scholarly vocation while relegating the institutional conditions of research production to the background. This article instead examines the influence of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) as a significant determinant of legal academic writing in the UK. Against idealised accounts of scholarship that emphasise intellectual autonomy and intrinsic motivation, this article argues that contemporary academics must navigate the tension between scholarly interests and the REF as an edifice which structures research careers. Drawing upon two decades of experience within UK legal academia, it reflects on the ways in which the REF shapes research choices, publication strategies and writing practices, while also tracing the evolution of the exercise itself. The article contends that contemporary academic life in UK Law Schools is profoundly disrupted by the uncertainty surrounding the current REF, and attempts to offer insights for legal academics seeking to adapt to this performance-driven research environment.

Murray, CRG, Academic Writing under the UK’s Research Excellence Framework (July 30, 2026), Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly, 2026.