Rachel Oldroyd, UK Data Service Data Impact Fellow and Quantitative Human Geographer at the University of Leeds, shares her perspective on research impact.
Impact – a word that is used so frequently in academic and non-academic circles alike, but what is it and why is it so important? With so many definitions, the meaning varies greatly uae rcs data across institutions and disciplines, but there seems to be a certain agreement around one broad definition. Impact is the effect that research has beyond academia. Whether that’s how the understanding of a complex social theory affects policy and improves community life, or how a newly developed vaccine reduces the spread of disease among a population. Impact is certainly not a new concept, however its incorporation into the 2020 Research Excellence Framework (REF) has initiated a shift away from pure research excellence towards a focus on research dissemination and the effect on wider society.
Certain channels of dissemination are frequently used by academics; presenting at national and international conferences, publishing in academic journals and delivering research group seminars. Early career researchers soon realise that these activities are not really optional, participation is encouraged and expected during the life course of a PhD and beyond. But these activities are often not enough to create tangible impact. They have limited reach, restricted to academic audiences. So what can early career researchers do to increase the impact of their research and engage non-academic audiences?