The Higher Education Evaluation Library (HEEL)

Currently in development.

About the HEEL

The HEEL will be a repository of evaluations of interventions designed to address equality gaps in higher education in England. 

By enabling providers to share their evaluation plans and findings, the HEEL will support knowledge exchange, foster collaboration, and support the dissemination of evaluation evidence on what works to reduce inequalities in higher education. It will also help identify trends in evaluation practice across the sector.

We will provide further guidance on inclusion criteria, setting up an account, the submission process and managing submissions in due course.

The HEEL will launch in spring 2026.

Inclusion criteria

Types of interventions

Interventions can target any part of the student lifecycle, including access, success and progression.

An intervention can be part of a wider strategy or plan, such as an Access and Participation Plan (APP) or a singular activity designed to address an inequality gap in student access, success and progression.

Interventions may also have outcomes that range from short- to longer-term. Acceptable outcome measures for evaluations include both:

• actual behaviours or outcomes (for example, applying to higher education or remaining on a course) and 
• non-behavioural outcomes (for example, survey responses). For non-behavioural measures, the use of validated scales is preferred but not essential. 

Literature reviews will not be accepted. Explorative studies examining the problems and barriers an intervention intends to solve or address can form part of the background for reports evaluating interventions, using one of the methods outlined above, but are not suitable for submission as standalone pieces. 

Types of evaluations

We want the HEEL to include a broad range of evaluation types, including quantitative and qualitative methods, and evaluations exploring correlations between interventions and outcomes, as well those which seek to demonstrate causal impact.

The following methodologies will be accepted:

• randomised controlled trials (RCTs)
• quasi-experimental impact evaluations (QEDs)
• theory-based evaluations (TBEs)
• correlational regression analysis
• evaluations of stakeholders’ perceptions of the impacts of interventions
• implementation and process evaluations (IPEs)
• economic evaluations
• pilot evaluations.

Submission process

To submit to the HEEL, users will populate a submission form on the HEAT website. Access to the submission portal will require a login to the HEAT system. HEAT members will log on to the HEAT system in the usual way. Non-HEAT members based in England will have the opportunity to request an account for the HEAT system.

Higher education providers (both HEAT and non HEAT members) will have one account with multiple users. Existing HEAT members will be able select which users can publish by editing user permissions. All users of a non-HEAT member account will all automatically have full rights and permissions to publish their evaluation.

Digests and analysis

To support further insight and learning, TASO will produce regular HEEL digests: short summaries that highlight key trends, patterns, and descriptive data from the evaluations submitted. These digests will be available through both the HEEL and TASO websites.

In the future, TASO plans to use the evidence submitted to the HEEL to inform our work, including updates of our evidence toolkits. These toolkits summarise and appraise the findings from existing evidence on approaches to widening participation and student success for disadvantaged and underrepresented groups. This integration won’t happen for some time, and further details will be shared on the methodology for selecting and reviewing evidence in due course.

Support and guidance

Detailed guidance will be provided on how to submit to the HEEL and what should be included. We will encourage the use of pre-existing guidance and templates on the TASO website, for example on validated scales, ethics, and Theory of Change. However, the use of other templates will be accepted.

Search and filtering of the HEEL

The HEEL will be freely accessible on a dedicated website. No log in will be required in order to search it. It is important that the HEEL is accessible and easy to use, whilst enabling users to search by as many fields as possible. We are still developing the filters and search tools, which will be tested in the user testing phase.

Next steps

TASO and HEAT are working hard to incorporate the feedback from a sector consultation phase into the design of the HEEL. User testing will start in the autumn term 2025 and the searchable library, along with the first digest, will be available from spring 2026.

HEEL webinar

Watch our recent online consultation webinar where we provided an overview of the development of the HEEL.

FAQs

Inclusion criteria

• At what stage of the evaluation process can submissions be made to the HEEL? 

At any stage. The HEEL will allow submissions of evaluation plans, as well as evaluations at interim finding and final reporting stage, with the expectation that these will be updated. All new documentation that is updated will be part of the same submission, and therefore linked.

• Will we need ethics approval? 

There will be an option to describe the status of your evaluation, whether it has ethics approval, blanket approval or none. Those submitting to the HEEL should ensure that their submissions have appropriate ethical approval for publication and this will vary by institution. TASO provides guidance and resources on ethics for evaluation which can inform institutional practice. 

• What if evaluation projects get cancelled or have null and negative results?

We strongly encourage publishing null and negative results and providing contextual information on your findings to promote shared learning in the sector. 

There will be an option to update the status of your evaluation and your submission will remain in the HEEL even if the project ends before a final report is produced. We encourage the sharing of evaluation plans so that others can learn from these documents even if plans are not executed.

Submission process

• How will partnership working be recorded?

There will be an option to name partners on a submission and to indicate whether they are, for instance, a third sector partner or another higher education provider. Named partners will not be able to view or approve a submission form, although they will be able to see the final submission on the HEEL. We suggest that those submitting to the HEEL agree the form of submissions with partners prior to completing the submission form. 

• How long will a submission take?

We will endeavour to make the submission process as simple and smooth as possible and will listen to feedback from the sector on continuously improving the process. 

The first submissions will go live in Spring 2026, once we have tested the process works. After this, any new submissions will automatically and immediately be made available in the HEEL (pending each provider’s internal review process).

• Will submitting to the HEEL conflict with submitting to academic journals?

The HEEL aims to collect a wide variety of evaluations, many of which would not be published in academic journals. However some providers may wish to submit their reports both to the HEEL and to a journal. In the first instance, it is worth checking the journal’s guidelines as some allow ‘pre-prints’ or ‘working papers’ to be shared prior to formal peer review and academic publication.

If the journal stipulates that submissions are not published elsewhere, evaluators and providers may need to wait until a journal article is published, after which they can provide a DOI link in the HEEL. 

• How will you ensure the quality and consistency of the submissions?

The HEEL is a library bringing together evaluations of existing practice, without quality thresholds or judgements. There will be no peer review process or quality review and TASO will not provide feedback. 

There will be mandatory fields to ensure consistency and adequate information from each evaluation.

Separate to the HEEL, there will be an appraisal process for evaluations that inform the TASO toolkits. This appraisal process will be clearly outlined on the TASO website.

Support and guidance

• Who do we go to with questions and troubleshooting?

Questions regarding evaluation issues will be addressed by TASO and questions regarding technical issues will be addressed by HEAT. Details of how to ask for help will be available upon launch.

• Will those submitting get feedback?

Those who may want feedback and advice on their evaluations can contact TASO directly either with particular questions or to engage in TASO’s bespoke training.