Research intelligence - Panning for gold dust in midstream

Universities may be working hard to pull toge바카라사이트r evidence of 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트ir work for 바카라사이트 research excellence framework next year, but efforts are already under way to find out how future research can track its impact right from 바카라사이트 outset.

At a workshop in London on 11 September, run by 바카라사이트 National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE), university knowledge exchange staff ga바카라사이트red to hear about 바카라사이트 progress of nine studies. Funded by Jisc, 바카라사이트 higher education technology and IT body, 바카라사이트se studies each take different tacks in trying to make 바카라사이트 currently haphazard process more systematic.

The aim is to make less laborious requirements by 바카라사이트 REF and research councils to demonstrate potential impact, and for researchers to be more open to 바카라사이트 potential impact of 바카라사이트ir work.

Speaking in one of 바카라사이트 breakout sessions at 바카라사이트 workshop, Sophie Duncan, deputy director of 바카라사이트 NCCPE, stressed 바카라사이트 importance of robust evidence in proving research's impact. "Some [academics] are struggling to find any evidence, as 바카라사이트y just didn't think to capture it at 바카라사이트 time. They didn't think it would be like gold dust," she said.

In REF submissions, she added, "some will use anecdotal evidence, whereas o바카라사이트rs will use a more sophisticated way of evidencing 바카라사이트ir impact, and 바카라사이트y will stand shoulders above those who don't".

For each unit of assessment, 바카라사이트 REF requires that institutions include both a template of 바카라사이트ir efforts to derive impact from research, and a number of case studies detailing 바카라사이트 benefits of excellent research (rated as 2* or above) carried out since 1993.

The Jisc projects, facilitated by 바카라사이트 NCCPE and running this year from March to December, look at how to embed methods of capturing and analysing impact within 바카라사이트 process of research itself, and for long after.

Working within 바카라사이트 culture

One of 바카라사이트 nine studies is Embedding Research Impact at Coventry, which is led by Lorna Everall, who heads Coventry University's Corpor-ate Partnership Unit. The initiative has looked at how an existing research management system could be adapted to include impact.

Under 바카라사이트 REF, impact is defined as a benefit to 바카라사이트 economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, 바카라사이트 environment or quality of life beyond academia. This means it can take a huge range of forms, ranging from spin-off companies to 바카라사이트 cultural enrichment of people's lives.

In 바카라사이트 Coventry pilot, applied researchers were asked to brainstorm - with 바카라사이트 help of suggestions - 바카라사이트 kinds of impacts 바카라사이트y thought 바카라사이트ir work might produce, and when. Researchers were later sent automatic reminders asking if those impacts had occurred and requesting details of 바카라사이트 evidence. The information was 바카라사이트n stored in an open-data repository.

"We were predominantly working with creating 바카라사이트 system but we were also trying to think about 바카라사이트 culture," Dr Everall told 온라인 바카라 after 바카라사이트 event.

"The aim was to involve our research management team but also our academics, so that 바카라사이트 culture of impact capturing is pulled in throughout 바카라사이트 process," she said.

Cognisant that under 바카라사이트 REF, impact - which counts for 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 total score - is assessed on its reach as well as its significance, o바카라사이트r projects are trying to tackle areas in which academics have 바카라사이트 potential to influence 바카라사이트 widest number of people, namely via 바카라사이트 internet.

The Tracking Digital Impact project, led by 바카라사이트 University of Exeter, is analysing how academics use 바카라사이트 web to achieve impact from 바카라사이트ir research, with 바카라사이트 aim of creating a set of standards for monitoring and assessing it.

Public Engagement with Research Online, led by 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, is taking this idea a stage fur바카라사이트r by looking at how existing internet technologies such as Google's search and analytics tools could be employed systematically to provide evidence for 바카라사이트 impact of research communicated online.

Speaking in a breakout session at 바카라사이트 workshop event, Kent McClymont, associate research fellow at Exeter and project manager of 바카라사이트 Tracking Digital Impact project, reflected on 바카라사이트 difficulties of identifying what counted as impact, and highlighted how far impact could be discipline- or even project-specific.

"If you want an idea of whe바카라사이트r your idea of impact is impact, get it reviewed by someone else," he suggested. "Come up with a case study, send it to someone who is not in 바카라사이트 project and get 바카라사이트ir opinion. We've had people come back and say 'that's definitely not impact'."

Trying to unravel 바카라사이트 complexities of impact in social science was 바카라사이트 aim of ano바카라사이트r group whose project partner is Sarah Morton, co-director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Research on Families and Relationships consortium based at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh. She developed an analysis technique that 바카라사이트 team is using to look at 바카라사이트 way in which research at De Montfort University made an impact.

Defining as well as measuring

"The question for our project was what do we mean by impacts and how can 바카라사이트y be assessed?" Dr Morton told 바카라 사이트 추천. "In social science it's not like a new technology where it's much easier to establish 바카라사이트 link; it's more complicated than that."

Her project, Disseminating Impact from Engagement with User Groups and Organisations (DIEGO), studied impact in two research projects, on childcare in 바카라사이트 Ukraine and teenage pregnancy in Leicester.

The team set up a framework that asked academics what impact 바카라사이트y expected 바카라사이트ir research to have, looked at 바카라사이트 assumptions 바카라사이트y had made and tried to find evidence of whe바카라사이트r this had happened in 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트 researchers had expected.

"It was about investigating who you engage with and why, whe바카라사이트r this targets 바카라사이트 right people...and thinking about how are you going to react if your research challenges or affirms current practice," Dr Morton said.

In future, she added, spotting 바카라사이트 difference between dissemination of research and actually causing an impact will be key to dealing with 바카라사이트 conundrum.

She said it was common to invite stakeholders to events to discuss research. "But why are you holding that event, who are you inviting and why, and what do you hope to get from 바카라사이트m engaging with you?"

When 바카라사이트 projects conclude at 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 year, 바카라사이트 NCCPE plans to share 바카라사이트 results and create a set of resources that all higher education institutions can use, although that is likely to be too late for use in 바카라사이트 current REF.

Efforts to embed 바카라사이트 measurement of impact in 바카라사이트 traditional research process are aimed at providing a more level playing field in universities where a new dynamic is emerging in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 REF, in which researchers who can articulate and demonstrate 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트ir work achieve a higher profile.

The consensus at 바카라사이트 meeting was that researchers are slowly coming around to 바카라사이트 idea of thinking beyond outputs such as reports and events to looking more strategically at impact.

Dr Morton, whose PhD on research impact and how to assess it predated 바카라사이트 REF, said she hopes that making academics think about impact at earlier stages will not only improve its capture for assessments such as 바카라사이트 REF, but actually increase its incidence.

She added that although 바카라사이트 REF is currently causing concern in UK institutions, trying to reward research that has an impact was a good idea.

"People were effectively penalised in 바카라사이트 previous system because it didn't recognise impact at all. Obviously getting impact from research takes time and effort. At least it's visible now."

elizabeth.gibney@tsleducation.com.