The original intention was to have the system ready in early 2009 and to phase it in gradually between 2010 and 2014.

In April 2008 the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) confirmed that within the REF's overarching framework, there will no longer be such a clear distinction between the arrangements for science-based subjects and those for all other subjects. For all subjects the assessment will include some combination of metrics-based indicators, including bibliometrics where appropriate, as well as input from expert panels.

The government first announced in March 2006 its intention to replace the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) after 2008 with an assessment system based upon numerical indicators, known as metrics.

A working group, whose members included representatives of the four UK higher education funding bodies and a number of government departments, then developed a consultation - Reform of higher education research assessment and funding.

Following the consultation, the government announced in the 2006 pre-Budget Report the development of a revised scheme for assessment of quality and allocation of funding. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) outlined details of the scheme in a press release.

Initial plans were set out in Future framework for research asssessment and funding. This has since progressed to a full consulation.

Two research and evaluation reports have fed into the development of the new framework:

• Scoping study on the use of bibliometric analysis to measure the quality of research in UK higher education institutions, Center for Science and Technology Studies, University of Leiden;
  
• Bibliometric analysis of interdisciplinary research, Evidence Ltd.

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