RAE data and access scripts

Here are some example scripts demonstrating database access and PHP.

The data is from the last UK RAE (Research Assessment Exercise) where universities and related institutions have their research outputs rated.

Each institution submit staff under areas called "Units of Assessment" or UOA. For example UOA 25 is Computer Science (see full list). Each Institution also has a unique code allocated by HESA (Higher Education Standards Authority). Typically an institution may enter staff under many UOAs, but some specialist institutions may only submit under a few. For example, the British Institute in Paris (HESA code H-0151E) only submits under UOA 51, French.

There are four scripts, two are for listing all institutions.

•   instlist.php - lists the HESA code and institution name with each name a live link
•   instlist2.php - the same but also puts in brackets the number of UOAs submitted for the institution

A third script is for listing the information for a particular institution, given by a HESA code:

•   uoalist.php?hesa=H-0123 - example of use for Lancaster University (HESA code H-0123)

Finally there is a script is for listing the names of all units if assessment:

•   uoanames.php - for each code gives the name: e.g 35 Computer Science

The sources of these are all available to download, but note that they will download with extension ".phps" which will need altering to ".php" - DO NOT click the link but instead download the file to your own machine to examine.

•   instlist.phps
•   instlist2.phps
•   uoalist.phps
•   uoanames.phps

These access the database using a publically accessible "guest" user, so can be uploaded to your own server to test and experiment with.

The scripts access four database tables:

•   rae_raw - 'unnormalised' data - big list of every UOA in each institution
•   rae_inst - list of institutions by HESA code
•   rae_uoa - names of UOAs
•   rae_res - same as rae_raw, but omitting the institution names and UOA names as these can be looked up in rae_inst and rae_uoa

Look at the full database schemas for a desciption of what each contains.