University meetings don’t always have to be long and dull. | Photo: iStockphoto

Universities possess the knowledge, the experience and the necessary tools to be able to examine the impact of their internal administrative processes and render them more effective, says Marcus Munafò, a psychologist who is an Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research Culture at the University of Bristol (UK). But, as he points out on the online portal Research Professional News, they rarely do so.

Munafò is now calling for more meta-research – also known as ‘research-on-research’ – along the lines of A/B testing, such as is often used by digital companies. They offer their customers alternative products on a random basis. Munafò believes that this method also has potential for universities. Funding applications often require several external reference letters. But do they really have an influence on the final decision? Randomisation could be used to test such matters. “For example, the frequency, length and structure of meetings could usefully lend itself to A/B testing”, says Munafò.