In short: positions in RankingLab rankings cannot be bought, negotiated or influenced. Everyone who works on an assessment declares their interests, and anyone with a conflict steps aside.
Why independence matters
A ranking is only useful if readers can trust that it reflects evidence and nothing else. RankingLab was set up as an independent, volunteer-run initiative precisely so that its results would not depend on commercial relationships with the institutions it ranks. This policy sets out the rules that protect that independence. It applies to founders, editors, assessors, volunteers, advisors and anyone else who takes part in producing a ranking.
What we never accept
RankingLab and the people who work on it never accept, directly or indirectly, any of the following from an institution that is ranked, under assessment, or eligible for assessment:
- Payment of any kind in exchange for inclusion, a position, an assessment, a faster assessment, or early access to results.
- Gifts, hospitality, travel, honoraria or other benefits connected to an assessment.
- Advertising or sponsorship on RankingLab channels.
- Fees for participation, data submission or review requests. These processes are free, always.
We do not solicit information from the entities we rank. Information sent to us is verified before any use; sending it never guarantees inclusion or a better result, and not sending it never leads to a penalty.
No services to ranked institutions
RankingLab itself does not sell consulting, benchmarking, advisory, data or "ranking improvement" services to institutions it ranks. We do not offer paid workshops on how to rise in our rankings.
Team members sometimes hold academic or professional roles outside RankingLab. If a team member independently provides consulting, advisory or similar paid services to an institution, they must declare it, and they are recused from every assessment, review and editorial decision that concerns that institution.
Conflicts of interest
A conflict of interest exists when a personal, professional or financial interest could influence, or could reasonably appear to influence, someone's judgment about an institution or program.
Mandatory recusal
A person must not assess, review, adjudicate or edit results for an institution if, within the last five years, they:
- Worked for, studied at, or were paid by that institution (including visiting, adjunct, examiner and board roles).
- Applied for a position there, or have a pending application or offer.
A person must also recuse themselves if they:
- Have an immediate family member who works at, studies at, or holds a governance role in that institution.
- Have any other material interest, such as a significant financial stake, an active research grant with the institution as a partner, or a personal dispute.
Declaration process
- Every team member files a general declaration of interests when joining and updates it at least once per edition.
- Assessors file a specific declaration for every assignment before they see any evidence.
- The editorial secretariat checks declarations and reassigns work where a conflict exists.
- If a conflict emerges during an assessment, the person stops immediately, informs the secretariat, and their scores for that institution are discarded and replaced.
When in doubt, people are expected to declare. A declared and managed interest is acceptable; an undeclared one is a breach.
Separation of roles
- Assessors score independently and are blind to each other's scores.
- Editorial decisions about publication are separated from any fundraising activity.
- No funder, donor or partner has any role in methodology, scoring or publication. See the Funding Policy.
Handling pressure and approaches
If an institution offers a benefit, requests special treatment, or attempts to contact an assessor about an assessment, the person approached must refuse, avoid discussing the assessment, and report the contact to the secretariat. Institutions may communicate with RankingLab only through official channels, such as hi@rankinglab.org or the Corrections, Appeals & Complaints Policy.
Attempts to improperly influence a result are recorded. Where an attempt is serious or repeated, RankingLab may note it in the edition record and may refer it to competent authorities.
Transparency
- The methodology and eligibility rules are published on the Methodology page before results are released.
- Funding sources are disclosed as described in the Funding Policy.
- Recusals are logged internally for every edition and are available for independent audit.
Breaches
A breach of this policy may lead to removal of the person's contributions from an edition, suspension, or permanent removal from the team. If a breach could have affected a published result, we will review the result and publish a correction where needed, following the Corrections, Appeals & Complaints Policy.
Reporting concerns
Anyone may report a suspected conflict of interest or breach of independence to hi@rankinglab.org. Reports are handled confidentially, and we do not retaliate against people who report concerns in good faith.
Responsibility
This policy is maintained by RankingLab's editorial board, which holds editorial responsibility for RankingLab publications.