Research for research sake is no longer tenable or affordable; to be valuable to society, research must have impact! This textbook takes the reader on a journey from how the UK Research Excellence Framework assesses impact to real examples of outstanding research impact case studies. Along the way, Prof. Hugh McKenna describes and explains the case for research impact, the challenges, the link between research impact and evidence informed practice, achieving impact through changing policy and engaging with the public, how researchers can make their research findings more impactful and how research impact is assessment nationally and internationally
It is written in an easily accessible and understandable style, with reflective exercises amply distributed throughout its pages and helpful guides helping to engage readers and notably health professionals who are often turned off by the normal heavy research tomes. This book makes the complex simple and the wearisome fascinating. The short chapters are interesting and authoritative and can be read on a ‘standalone’ basis, allowing readers to ‘dip in and out’.
From his experience in various countries, the author has a unique insight into what research impact is, how it is assessed and how and where research findings can have the most benefit. The stimulus for this book has been the excellent feedback that the author has received from health professionals, students and fellow researchers. There is always a risk that good knowledge and experience do not transfer well into a good textbook. In Research Impact: Guidance on Advancement, Achievement and Assessment, nothing has been lost in the transition.
The book will be of great interest to many health researchers from nursing to midwifery, pharmacy, medicine or any allied health professional, but also to any research manager in all professions who want their research to bring positive change to society, culture, the economy, health and quality of life. It will be of particular interest to those who want to understand the difference between research impacts that are weak and those that are outstanding and how such assessments are made.
Author(s): Hugh P. McKenna
Publisher: Springer
Year: 2020
Language: English
Pages: 135
City: Cham
Preface
Contents
About the Author
1: Research Impact: The What, Why, When and How
1.1 Introduction
1.1.1 Reactive Approach to Research Impact
1.1.2 Active Approach to Research Impact
1.1.3 Proactive Approach to Research Impact
1.2 Why Is Research Impact Important?
1.2.1 Moral Imperative
1.2.2 The Role of Universities as Drivers for Impact
1.2.3 Research Impact as a Dictate from Funding Bodies
1.2.4 The Research Excellence Framework
1.3 The REF and Research Impact
1.4 Positive Views of Research Impact in the REF
1.5 Research Impact: Its Reach and Significance
1.6 The REF Expert Panels
1.7 Summary
References
2: Research Impact: Drafting Case Studies
2.1 Introduction
2.2 The REF Impact Case Study Template
2.2.1 Stylistic Issues
2.3 Summary
References
3: Research Impact: How to Prepare and Submit Case Studies
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Structures and Processes Employed by Universities for Research Impact
3.3 Level 1: The Unit of Assessment
3.4 Level 2: The Faculty Level
3.5 Level 3: The University Level
3.6 The Research Impact Manager
3.6.1 Key Responsibilities
3.6.2 Key Duties
3.7 Commercial Tools for Tracking Research Impact
3.7.1 Vertigo Ventures-Impact Tracker
3.7.2 Researchfish
3.7.3 PURE Impact Tracker
3.8 Incorporating Impact Generation into an Institution’s Research Environment
3.8.1 Civic University
3.8.2 Red Brick Universities
3.9 REF: Research Impact and Research Environment
3.9.1 Institution Environment Statement (REF 5a)
3.9.2 UoA Environment Statement (REF 5b)
3.10 Summary
References
4: Research Impact: How Assessors Prepare and Assess
4.1 Introduction
4.1.1 The Appointments
4.1.2 The Preparation
4.1.3 The Assessment
4.2 What Makes Expert Panel Assessors Rate Impacts Outstanding or Weak?
4.3 Expert Panel Assessors and Impact Confidentiality
4.4 The Views of Assessors and Others on REF Guidance for Impact Case Studies
4.4.1 Views of REF Impact Assessors on the REF Guidance for Impact Case Studies
4.4.2 Views of University Researchers on the REF Guidance for Impact Case Studies
4.5 How Quantitative and Qualitative Data Help Assessors Make Judgements?
4.5.1 How Quantitative and Qualitative Data Assists the Assessment of Impact?
4.6 Calculating a Quality Profile
4.7 Summary
References
5: Research Impact: The Challenges
5.1 Introduction
5.2 The Attribution Time Lag
5.3 Disciplinary Issues and Research Impact
5.4 A Resource Hungry Process
5.5 The Nature of Knowledge
5.6 A Distraction from Doing Research
5.7 Political Policy and REF
5.8 The Difficulty in Capturing Impact Comprehensively
5.9 Impact and the University Mission
5.10 New Schools and Departments Being Disadvantaged
5.11 Research Impact: Not Always Good
5.12 Conflicting Research Advice and Resultant Impacts
5.13 Gender Bias and Research Impact
5.14 Summary
References
6: Research Impact: Engaging with the Public and Policymakers
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Engagement and Impact: The Relationship
6.3 Research Advice on Covid-19 and Its Effect on Public Engagement
6.4 Bodies that Assist Public Engagement
6.5 Social Media and Altmetrics as Tools for Impact
6.6 Research Impact and Policymaking
6.7 The Ten Commandments for Influencing Policymakers
6.7.1 Get to Know the People Who Really Matter
6.7.2 Do not Just Criticise, Offer Solutions
6.7.3 Give Policymakers a Strong Narrative
6.7.4 Use Social Media Sparingly
6.7.5 Use Ministerial Priorities as a Hook
6.7.6 Keep Politics Out of It
6.7.7 When Ministers Change, Start Again
6.7.8 Treat Returning Ministers Like New Ministers
6.7.9 Do Not Overlook the Power of Constituency MPs
6.7.10 Above All, Be Consistent
6.8 A Communications Toolkit for Healthcare Impact
6.9 Research Methods the Encourage Impact
6.10 Open Science and Engagement for Impact
6.11 Examples of Public Engagement’s Impact on Policy and Society
6.12 Summary
References
7: Research Impact: The Link to Evidence-Informed Practice
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Some Background
7.3 The Drive for Certainty and Agreement in Research Impact?
7.4 Research Impact: When Is Best Evidence Ignored?
7.5 Researchers: Their Role in Encouraging or Discouraging Impact
7.6 Summary
References
8: Research Impact: An Analysis of Approaches in Health Sciences
8.1 Introduction
8.2 An Analysis of Health Science Impacts Submitted in the 2014 REF
8.3 A Comparison of Research Impact Quality with Other Components in REF
8.3.1 A Historical Exploration of Research Impact and Related Publications
8.4 Impact Case Studies for REF2014 Relating to Health Care
8.5 UoA1: Clinical Medicine—The University of Bristol
8.5.1 Title
8.5.2 Summary of the Impact
8.5.3 Underpinning Research
8.5.4 References to the Research
8.5.5 Details of the Impact
8.5.6 Sources to Corroborate the Impact
8.5.7 Comment
8.6 UoA2: Public Health, Health Services and Primary Care—The University of Oxford
8.6.1 Title
8.6.2 Summary of the Impact
8.6.3 Underpinning Research
8.6.4 References to the Research
8.6.5 Details of the Impact
8.6.6 Sources to Corroborate the Impact
8.6.7 Comment
8.7 UoA3: Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy—The University of Nottingham
8.7.1 Title
8.7.2 Summary of the Impact
8.7.3 Underpinning Research
8.7.4 References to the Research
8.7.5 Details of the Impact
8.7.6 Sources to Corroborate the Impact
8.7.7 Comment
8.8 UoA4: Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience—The University of Stirling
8.8.1 Title
8.8.2 Summary of the Impact
8.8.3 Underpinning Research
8.8.4 References to the Research
8.8.5 Details of the Impact
8.8.6 Sources to Corroborate the Impact
8.8.7 Comment
8.9 Summary
References
9: Research Impact: A Global Perspective on Its Assessment
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Australia
9.3 Hong Kong
9.4 Canada
9.5 The United States of America
9.6 The European Union
9.6.1 Sweden
9.6.2 Holland
9.7 Italy
9.7.1 National Committee of Guarantors for Research
9.7.2 National Agency for the Evaluation of the University and Research Systems
9.7.3 REPRISE
9.8 Ireland
9.9 Spain
9.10 Conclusion
9.11 Summary
References
Appendix
Appendix A: Engagement with External Stakeholders for Research Impact
Appendix B: Research Impact Case Study Checklist
Appendix C: Creating Impact Through Public Engagement
Appendix D: Research Impact Through Changing Policy
