The editorial team of Higher Education Evaluation and Development (HEED) is pleased to announce this year's recipients of the Emerald Literati Awards, recognizing outstanding scholarly contributions published in 2024.

The Emerald Literati Awards, established in 1993, celebrate exceptional research and the dedicated peer reviewers who uphold the integrity of scholarly publishing. Winners are selected by the journal's editorial team based on research quality, originality, and impact.

As the publisher of HEED in partnership with Emerald Publishing, the Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation Council of Taiwan (HEEACT) takes great pride in recognizing the following winners for 2025.

Outstanding Paper Award:

"Connecting the dots: a systematic review of explanatory factors linking contextual indicators, institutional culture and degree awarding gaps" Pallavi Banerjee HEED, Vol. 18 No. 1, 2024

Outstanding Reviewer Award:

Dr. Hugo Horta

Dr. Jisun Jung

Dr. Dorothy I-Ru Chen

Dr. Banerjee's paper addresses the persistent degree awarding gap in UK higher education through a systematic review following the PRISMA protocol, mapping how contextual indicators and institutional culture interact to produce disparities in degree outcomes. The framework carries implications for equity-focused policy and institutional practice across higher education systems globally.

The three Outstanding Reviewers were recognized for the depth, rigor, and constructive quality of their peer reviews throughout 2024. Their work exemplifies the essential yet often invisible contribution that sustains the credibility of academic publishing.

HEEACT congratulates all winners and thanks them for their contributions to advancing research in higher education evaluation and development.

Read the winning paper: https://doi.org/10.1108/HEED-07-2023-0020

Visit HEED on Emerald Publishing: https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/heed