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Q. Can you comment on the fact that ever since the guide has been compiled by Exeter Enterprises, an offshoot of Exeter University, since 2007, Exeter has risen from mid 20s to 9th in 3 years. Surely the guide has no credibility any more, especially the devisive way in which RAE scores have been scored.

A. Exeter has risen in all university league tables over the period in which Exeter Enterprises has been compiling The Times rankings. The university has been in the top five of the National Student Survey each year and had one of the biggest rises in research funding following the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise – the sources for the two highest-weighted measures in our table since before Exeter Enterprises took over.

The method of compiling research scores, which I addressed below, was designed to mirror established practice since official research assessments began. All aspects of the ranking methodology are considered by a review group drawn from all types of university and audited by two independent experts.

Q. Why on earth does satisfaction have such a high weighting? It is easily manipulated and those from lower uni's expect far less. How can places like Loboro and Leicester beat places like Nottingham when it is worse in every other measure.

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• The Times University Guide table

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• Good University Guide Map

A. The Times Good University Guide is intended for prospective undergraduates choosing courses, so it is hard to imagine what could be more important than the views of those currently taking degrees. Although there have been isolated cases of academics trying to manipulate scores for their own department, it would be almost impossible to do it for a whole university without being discovered. At least half of the final-year undergraduates took part at every university in 2008.

Q. The ranking for research quality appears to be different to the one published in The Times last December. Why is that?

A. As in December’s table, the scores for research are taken from the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise carried out by the higher education funding councils. But tables published on the day took no account of how many academics had been entered for assessment – one of the main measures of quality in every previous set of assessments.

The Times guide weights the scores by an estimate of the proportion of academics eligible for assessment at each university, in order to put th results in context. Particularly among the leading universities, it is important to distinguish between those that entered 90 per cent or more of their academics and others where the proportion was 70 per cent or less.

Q. There have been big swings in the rankings of some universities this year. Why is that? Surely universities don’t change that much from year to year.

A. Universities change more than you might think. Most are constantly adding new courses and removing others, and there are developments taking place on many campuses. But the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise is behind many of the bigger changes this year. It was the first such exercise for seven years and one that makes a big difference to the reputation and finances of a university. As such, the research scores (with student satisfaction) carry a higher weighting that the other measures in the institutional ranking.

Submit your question for John O'Leary below or email education@thetimes.co.uk

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