Reader (academic rank)

The title of reader in the United Kingdom and some universities in the Commonwealth of Nations, for example India, Australia and New Zealand, denotes an appointment for a senior academic with a distinguished international reputation in research or scholarship.

In the traditional hierarchy of British and other Commonwealth universities, reader (and principal lecturer in the new universities)[1] are academic ranks above senior lecturer and below Chaired Professor, recognising a distinguished record of original research. Reader is a professor without a chair, similar to the distinction between professor and chaired professor in Hong Kong and between professor extraordinarius and professor ordinarius at some European universities. Readership is one/two rank(s) more prestigious than senior/permanent Lecturership, which translate to Associate/Assistant Professorship. Readers in the UK would correspond to the start of full professors in China and the United States.[2]

The promotion criteria applied to a readership in the United Kingdom are similar to those applied to a professorship: advancing from senior lecturer to reader generally requires evidence of a distinguished record of original research.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

Several UK universities have dispensed with the reader grade, such as the University of Oxford,[9] and the University of Leeds in 2012;[10] those currently holding readerships retain the title, but no new readers will be appointed. In the few UK universities, including the University of Cambridge,[11] that have adopted North American academic titles (i.e. lecturer is equivalent to assistant professor; senior lecturer equivalent to associate professor; professor equivalent to professor), readerships have become assimilated to professorships.

  1. ^ "Principal Lecturer (HE) – Careers Advice". Jobs.ac.uk. 11 January 2012. Retrieved 2019-07-08.
  2. ^ Graham Webb, Making the most of appraisal: career and professional development planning for lecturers, Routledge, 1994, page 30, ISBN 0-7494-1256-9
  3. ^ Norman, Jane; Murray, Alan (5 September 2019). "Guidance and Criteria for the Award of the Title of Reader" (PDF). The University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  4. ^ Promotion to Reader Archived 2014-05-13 at the Wayback Machine on the web-site of Newcastle University, read May 13, 2014.
  5. ^ "University of London" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 18, 2011.
  6. ^ "Lancaster University". Archived from the original on November 13, 2008.
  7. ^ ASPC Procedures 2010 Archived 2014-05-14 at the Wayback Machine for promotion of Chairs and Readerships on the website of the Open University, read May 13, 2014.
  8. ^ "University for the Creative Arts" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 27, 2011.
  9. ^ Oxford, University of. "Academic posts at Oxford, Personnel Services site". Admin.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  10. ^ "University of Leeds Human Resources Homepage". hr.leeds.ac.uk. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Reports - Cambridge University Reporter 6582".