What is research impact?

There are several definitions of Research Impact from institution assessment such as Research Excellence Framework, RAND Europe, Australian Research Council.

“An effect on, or change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia”. – REF

“Broadly linked to social, cultural or economic change across a wide range of beneficiaries. These changes could be linked at an individual, institutional or societal level”. – RAND Europe

“The contribution that research makes to the economy, society, environment or culture, beyond the contribution to academic research”. Australian Research Council

Two main components of research impact.

• Impact
  Impact is about evidenced and measurable effect, change or benefit that researchers do in the world (Reed, 2018).
  OR
  Impact is demonstrable or perceived benefits to individuals, groups, organisations and society (including human and non-human entities in the present and future) that are causally linked (necessarily or sufficiently) to research (Reed et al., 2021).
  Impact is WHAT happens because you give intervention or engagement activity to this community/population?

Research can help improve various aspects of society.

• Better health & wellbeing.
• Better education.
• More energy saving.
• More public safety.
• More economic growth.
• Integration of research recommendations into regulatory frameworks, policy, or law
• Adoption of methods to improve tracking/measuring.

• Pathway to impact
  Pathway/Roots to impact are the means by which you achieve that change (the way/journey). HOW do you translate your research such as by engagement activities etc.

​​​​​Three (3) elements of successful impact are:

Examples

• Activities and outputs (such as products, events, media)

• Indicators (increase sales/profit, new jobs, reduce minutes to triage)

• Evidence (company sales report, hospital report, feedback)

Whatever research or program we do in university it is important to show what we can do something good for society either for ourselves or university. Always think in our mind we want to give benefit/change.