What is impact?

Box"1:"What"is"impact?"

By#"impact",#we#are#talking#about#beneficial#changes#that#will#happen# in#the#real#world#(beyond#the#world#of#researchers)#as#a#result#of#your# research.#This#can#include#'negative#impacts'#such#as#evidence# that#prevents#the#launch#of#a#harmful#product#or#law.#Some#research# can#lead#to#harm#and#damage,#which#we'll#want#to#know#about,#so# that#we#can#avoid#or#ameliorate#the#worst#effects.#Impacts#may#occur# in#the#immediate#or#longBterm#future,#and#there#can#be#challenges# tracking#and#attributing#impacts,#which#this#book#will#help#you# explore.# #

Impacts#occur#through#processes#of#knowledge#exchange#and#the#coB production#of#knowledge,#where#new#ideas#are#developed#in# relationship#with#the#people#who#will#put#those#ideas#into#practice.# There#are#many#overlapping#terms#that#are#often#used#to#describe# this#process,#including:#knowledge#management,#sharing,# coproduction,#transfer,#brokerage,#transformation,#mobilisation,#and# translation.## #

Each#of#these#terms#are#used#in#different#disciplinary#or#sectoral# contexts#to#mean#slightly#different#things.#Some#imply#a#oneBway# flow#of#knowledge#from#those#who#generate#it#to#those#who#use#it,# whereas#others#imply#different#levels#of#twoBway#knowledge# exchange#and#joint#production#of#knowledge#between#those#who# need#to#use#knowledge#and#researchers.#For#simplicity,#I#will#use#the# term#‘knowledge#exchange’#to#include#all#of#these#different# approaches.# #

Delivering#impacts#from#research#is#increasingly#important#in#grant# applications#and#in#assessments#of#research#excellence#e.g.#the# Research#Excellence#Framework#(REF)#in#the#UK,#and#Germany’s# Research#Rating#(Forschungsrating)#system.#Each#of#these#bodies# have#their#own#institutional#definitions#of#impact.#For#example,#the# Higher#Education#Funding#Council#for#England#(HEFCE)#define#impact##

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as#“an#effect#on,#change#or#benefit#to#the#economy,#society,#culture,# public#policy#or#services,#health,#the#environment#or#quality#of#life,# beyond#academia”.#More#simply,#Research#Councils#UK#defines# research#impact#as#“the#demonstrable#contribution#that#excellent# research#makes#to#society#and#the#economy”.# # A#key#aspect#of#this#definition#is#that#impact#must#be#demonstrable.#It# is#not#enough#just#to#focus#on#activities#and#outputs#that#promote' research#impact,#such#as#staging#a#conference#or#publishing#a#report.# There#must#be#evidence#of#research#impact,#for#example,#that#it#has# been#taken#up#and#used#by#policymakers,#and#practitioners,#and#has# led#to#improvements#in#services#or#business.# # Most#researchers#and#funders#tend#to#focus#on#instrumental#impacts,# as#these#are#most#tangible.#However#a#range#of#other#types#of#impact# may#also#be#defined,#with#some#types#of#impact#leading#to#others:# 1. Instrumental#impacts#(e.g.#actual#changes#in#policy#or# practice)# 2. Conceptual#impacts#(e.g.#broad#new#understanding/# awareness#raising)# 3. Capacity#building#impacts#(e.g.#training#of#students#or# professionals,#CPD#etc.)# 4. Attitudinal#or#cultural#impacts#(e.g.#increased#willingness#in# general#to#engage#in#new#collaborations)# 5. Enduring#connectivity#impacts#(e.g.#followBon#interactions# such#as#joint#proposals,#reciprocal#visits,#shared#workshops,# lasting#relationships)#

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