Methodologies for research impact
As funders increasingly require evidence the benefit of the research that they have supported, interest grows in methodologies to best assess these benefits and plan to ensure that they are achieved.
This section presents methodologies for both the planning and the assessment of research impact with focus being beyond the academic environment. As research even within specific disciplines is vastly varied so too are the benefits or perceived benefits of these efforts which immediately poses a dilemma in planning for, but also in the comprehensive assessment of research impact. This dilemma has given rise to different approaches for measuring and assessment of research impact.
Planning for research impact increases the likelihood of the research making a positive difference in the world. Resources for impact planning help researchers to identify who in society will likely benefit from the research that they are undertaking, decide how researchers can connect with the right people to ensure that the impacts are achieved, engage these stakeholders in the research process and relay to others about the potential impact.
Concerning the assessment or evaluation of research impact, much have been written about and five broad types of research impact evaluation are commonly proposed (e.g. Reed et al., 2021):
- Systems analysis methods: pathways to impact, establishment of causation links, etc.
- Textual, oral and arts-based methods: case studies, interviews, testimonials, etc.
- Indicator-based approaches: focus on indicators or any type demonstration of impact from process of change.
- Evidence synthesis approaches: mixed evaluation methods to establish cause and effect.
Impact toolkits
ENLIGHT Toolkit for Impact Assessment
Go to webResearch Impact Toolkit (ENLIGHT. University of Galway)
Go to webGhent University impact toolkit for researchers (ENLIGHT. Ghent University)
Go to webBroader Impacts Toolkit. ARIS: Advancing Research Impact in Society
Go to webEuropeana Impact Playbook
Go to webImpact Resources. Vertigo Ventures
Go to webKnowledge Translation Tools. Melanie Barwick Consulting: Building Research Impact
Go to webLSE Impact Blog: a platform for understanding and increasing the impact of academic research
Go to webResearch Impact Canada: Turning Research Into Action
Go to webResearch to Action: The Global Guide to Research Impact
Go to webRRI Toolkit
Go to webUCD Research Impact Toolkit
Go to webImpact Narrative Tool
Go to webImpact planning
Research Impact Toolkit: Plan (ENLIGHT. University of Galway)
Go to webEngaged Research Planning for Impact (Irish Universities Association (IUA) Campus Engage)
DownloadFast Track Impact Planning Template (Professor Mark Reed, Newcastle University)
Go to webImpact Literacy Workbook: Helping you demonstrate the provable effects of your research in the real world
DownloadStakeholder Analysis Template (Professor Mark Reed, Newcastle University)
Go to webSupporting PIs to Plan for Research Impact (Principal Investigator Impact, CÚRAM (Research Centre for Medical Devices)
Go to webTheory of Change (Center for Theory of Change)
Go to webUCD Research Impact Toolkit: Impact Planning Canvas
Go to webCreating a Theory of Change. European Evaluation Society
Consult the linkImpact measurement and assessment
ENLIGHT Methodology for the Impact Assessment of Higher Education Initiatives
DownloadSustainable Development Goals Indicators
Go to webSDG Impact Assessment Tool (Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development)
Go to webHorizon Europe Key Impact Pathways
Go to webUK Research Excellence Framework
Go to webAustralia’s National Science Agency Impact Evaluation Guide
Go to webSan Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA)
Go to webThe Leiden Manifesto for research metrics (Diana Hicks, Paul Wouters, Ludo Waltman, Sarah de Rikcke, Ismael Rafolds)
Go to webIRIS Catalog of metrics
Go to webNext generation metrics: Responsible metrics and evaluation for open science
Go to webAltmetric for Researchers
Go to webISRIA statement: ten-point guidelines for an effective process of research impact assessment
Go to webResearch Impact Toolkit: Monitor (ENLIGHT. University of Galway)
Go to webResearcher Impact Framework: Building Audience-Focused Evidence-Based Impact Narratives. Giovanna Lima, Sarah Bowman. Trinity College Dublin
Go to webHunter Medical Research Institute: Research Impact Assessment
Go to webMethods for analyzing collaboration and societal impact (The Swedish Research Council)
DownloadImpact Evaluation – Better Evaluation
Go to webHow Do You Know If You Are Making a Difference? A Practical Handbook for Public Service Organisations. Sarah Morton and Ailsa Cook. Matter of Focus.
Go to webTemplate for Impact Narrative. Universität Zürich
Go to webHarnessing the power of evaluation to build better partnerships. EVALUATE Project
Go to webImpactful research case studies
ENLIGHT Impact Story. Widening participation in STEM with Science outreach. Muriel Grenon. University of Galway
DownloadENLIGHT Impact Story. AWARE: Supporting University Students' Mental Health through Education, Research and Innovation, Nahia Idogaia, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
DownloadENLIGHT Impact Story. Project SMILE: cost-utility and impact of high-intensity speech therapy on Speech, Motivation, and quality of Life in children with cleft palate, Kristiane Van Lierde, Ghent University
DownloadENLIGHT Impact Story. The Lost Ports of the Swin, Wim De Clercq, Ghent University
DownloadENLIGHT Impact Story. BIZI Programme: An interactive, self-managed and open-access online course to promote suicide prevention in community settings, Alexander Muela, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
DownloadENLIGHT Impact Story. Michi Noeki as social infrastructure. Sander Van Lanen. University of Groningen
DownloadENLIGHT Impact Story. Immersive Empathy: Co-Creating Immersive Narratives on Home and Homelessness. Conn Holohan. University of Galway
DownloadENLIGHT Impact Story. EU-FarmBook: supporting knowledge exchange between all AKIS actors in the European Union. Inge De Bo. Ghent University
DownloadENLIGHT Impact Story. Enhancing Identity Security: Authenticity Verification of Face Images. George Azzopardi. University of Groningen
DownloadENLIGHT Impact Story. NORDeHEALTH. Maria Hägglund. Uppsala University
DownloadENLIGHT Impact Story. ChildMove. Ilse Derluyn. Ghent University
DownloadENLIGHT Impact Story. Interactive tool for assessing and modelling crisis vulnerability. Kati Orru. University of Tartu
DownloadENLIGHT Impact Story. Precision Medicine Network in Complex Diseases. Idoia Martin Guerrero. UPV/EHU.
DownloadENLIGHT Impact Story. Tracking Adaptation Progress in Agriculture and Food Security Using an AI-powered Satellite Remote Sensing Platform (TAPAS). Aaron Golden. University of Galway
DownloadENLIGH Impact Story. Tuam Oral History Project. Sarah-Anne Buckley. University of Galway
DownloadENLIGHT Impact Pilot Case Studies: Narratives with Numbers
DownloadImpact in beeld. Joram Tarusarira. (ENLIGHT. University of Groningen)
Watch VideoImpact in beeld: Fit en Vaardig op de basisschool met Esther Hartman (ENLIGHT. University of Groningen)
Watch VideoImpact in beeld. René Veenstra over pesten. (ENLIGHT. University of Groningen)
Watch VideoImpact in Focus. Lisa Herzog. (ENLIGHT. University of Groningen)
Watch VideoImpact in focus. Oscar Franken. (ENLIGHT. University of Groningen)
Watch VideoOur view of societal impact: bringing knowledge and skills to the working world. (ENLIGHT. University of Groningen)
Watch VideoKnowledge Valorisation Platform. European Commission. Research and Innovation
Go to webHorizon Results Platform
Go to webUK Research Excellence Framework – Case Studies
Go to webAustralian Research Council Impact Studies
Go to webSocial Impact Open Repository (SIOR)
Go to webSuccess stories about the impact of Ghent University research (ENLIGHT. Ghent University)
Go to webImpact of EU-funded research impact at Ghent University (ENLIGHT. Ghent University)
Go to webResearch Impact Case Studies (ENLIGHT. University of Galway)
Go to webImperial College London – Case Studies
Go to webUniversity College Dublin – Impact Case Studies
Go to webUniversity of Cambridge – Case Studies Worldwide Mapping
Go to webOther specific impact pathway approaches
Creating the conditions for uptake in higher education partnerships for sustainable development. VLIR-UOS
DownloadEvidence-informed policy making. European Commission
Go to webIMPACTLAB. Utrecht University
Go to webENLIGHT-PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT WEBINAR 2: IMPACT OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATION
WebinarImpacttool. Erasmus+ Dutch National Agencies Erasmus+
Go to webOpen Science Intervention Logic. Open Science Impact Pathways
Go to webPlanning your public engagement. Wellcome
Go to webPrincipal Investigator Impact: Research in Medical Devices
Go to webPublic Engagement Evaluation Toolkit. Queen Mary University of London
Go to webResources for high quality engagement. UK National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement
Go to web