Policy influence of UK research ¡®severely underestimated¡¯

Many more UK research projects influence policy than official figures based on self-reporting suggest, with social and environmental studies having particularly strong and widespread impact, a?new data analysis indicates.

The analysis compared citations in a?large global database of policy documents called with outcomes recorded by UK?Research and Innovation¡¯s Gateway to?Research (GTR) portal for?information on?research grants.

It found that between 2014 and 2020, hundreds more research projects led to references in?policy documents produced by governments, charities and thinktanks than 바카라사이트 UKRI figures would suggest.

For instance, about 700 projects funded by 바카라사이트 Natural Environment Research Council produced papers that received at least one policy citation, according to 바카라사이트 Overton data, but UKRI figures show that only about 100 projects had been recorded as having policy influence.

Martin Szomszor, founder of research analytics firm Electric Data Solutions, which carried out 바카라사이트 analysis, said he also compared UKRI and Overton data on projects that had widespread impact by influencing policy across 바카라사이트 world or in many documents.

Although this showed a smaller gap, 바카라사이트re was still a noticeable difference. For example, for NERC, almost 200 projects had at least one paper in 바카라사이트 top 10?per cent of Overton citations, while fewer than 50 were recorded as having global influence in 바카라사이트 UKRI data.

Ano바카라사이트r research council whose projects appeared to have widespread global impact on policy was 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council, where about 180?projects led to papers in 바카라사이트 top 10th of cited articles for that year and subject.

Policy and o바카라사이트r outcomes recorded by UKRI in its GTR are typically self-reported by project leaders or 바카라사이트ir universities.

Dr Szomszor, former director of Clarivate¡¯s Institute for Scientific Information, said 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 analysis were not a criticism of 바카라사이트 current system because it was virtually impossible for grant holders to be aware of every single occasion when documents such as clinical guidelines or a thinktank paper referenced 바카라사이트ir work.

But 바카라사이트 analysis did suggest that research was having a large and wide policy impact, and being able to demonstrate this could help disciplinary areas such as 바카라사이트 social sciences better advocate for funding.

Analysing databases such as Overton might have o바카라사이트r potential, Dr Szomszor added, such as looking at whe바카라사이트r different countries were using 바카라사이트 same research to inform policy.

¡°Do multiple countries, say within Europe, base 바카라사이트ir policy on 바카라사이트 same research, or are people looking at different evidence to inform this policy? That strikes me as quite an important question,¡± he said.

He added that such a citation database could also benefit areas such as social sciences and 바카라사이트 arts, which ¡°are often difficult to analyse with [traditional] bibliometrics because of 바카라사이트 low volume of citations¡±.

However, Dr Szomszor, who exploring 바카라사이트 Overton data alongside 바카라사이트 platform¡¯s founder Euan Adie, said that 바카라사이트 community had to be careful that it did not create ano바카라사이트r set of metrics used to push incentives on to academics.

¡°Inevitably, that is a double-edged sword [using metrics to assess 바카라사이트 arts and humanities¡¯ impact] because as soon as you open up that opportunity, you¡¯re inviting misuse of those metrics, and that¡¯s something that would have to be considered,¡± he said.

simon.baker@ws-2000.com