LCNAU contributed to the different consultations conducted by the ARC for the ANZSRC review. We advocated for the retention of FoR code 2003 Language Studies. Our final submission can be read here.
We have recently been informed that the review is now complete; you can see the outcomes of the review at https://www.arc.gov.au/anzsrc-review. For the final version of the new FoR and SEO codes, see https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/mf/1297.0.
Although we were not able to ensure the designation of “Languages and Cultures” within the FoR codes, we contributed to the retention of “Language Studies”, which is now coded at 4703.
In terms of improving the visibility of Languages and Cultures in the research domain, there is no new element in the revamped FoR codes to guide us, but with the survival of Languages Studies as a code, we now have a fresh opportunity to take matters into our own hands by making more strategic use of the code to identify our research. It may take a while to alter the institutional view that Language Studies, as a hitherto neglected code, can be used to hide items that do not serve a strategic purpose. But with persistence we can change that – by systematically including the code of Language Studies where our work is in, or about, a particular language – and also using this code in conjunction with our work in the codes covering forms of culture to which we contribute. This does not prevent other forms of cross-coding either, with Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, History, Education, etc., but using 4703 would be a significant gesture on our part, acknowledging that we do certain types of language work, or combinations of language and culture work, that is only done in our specific Language departments.