Attendance at the recent Information Online conference in Sydney brought home to me the fact that university libraries around Australia are still somewhat in the dark about the whole RQF (Research Quality Framework) which will be imposed by the federal government in 2008. The problem seems to lie in a government which is willing to make substantive statements about the direction it wants to take, in this instance in regards to the management of research and research outputs, but the bureaucracy and sector is then faced with an implementation process which is both complicated and, in some cases, unknown. Some of the smaller universities will no doubt look to the government, and to the bigger, better funded institutions, for direction. Whatever the case, time is running out and 2008 is fast approaching. DEST needs to give clear direction asap.