Dawn Hibbert Library Learning Services https padlet comdawnhibbertImpactandthe

Dawn Hibbert Library & Learning Services https: //padlet. com/dawn_hibbert/Impactandthe. REF

For the purposes of the REF, impact is defined as an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia (paragraph 143 - REF) Impact includes the reduction or prevention of harm, risk, cost or other negative effects Impacts on research or the advancement of academic knowledge within the higher education sector (whether in the UK or internationally) are excluded. (The submitted unit’s contribution to academic research and knowledge is assessed within the ‘outputs’ and ‘environment’ elements of REF) Note: Until the release of REF 2021 guidelines, the REF 2014 definition of impact should be used

• Impact must be underpinned by excellent research • Cases must demonstrate that without the research, the impact would not have occurred or would have been significantly altered or reduced • Cases were marked down, and even risked an unclassified rating, where the link between research and impact was not clear or where the research was not deemed to be of sufficient quality

• Impact goes beyond dissemination and/or public engagement • To evidence impact means to evidence a change or benefit to specific individuals or groups in society or economy • There are subtle but crucial differences in sub-panel guidelines • Using the language from the REF guidelines makes it easier to read and assess individual impact case studies • Good impact did not equal a good case study • Filling in the case study template according to guidelines mattered for the coherence of the impact narrative

• Providing specific evidence to support individual impact claims was crucial • Effective referencing of evidence as part of the impact narrative proved advantageous • Although accepted by the REF, weblinks proved problematic when used as impact evidence due to the ephemeral nature of websites and their contents • Significant effort is required to complete an impact case study

• • Dissemination of research outputs & knowledge Public engagement activities Invited talks/presentations/seminars/ workshops Social media activity Blogging Research/project websites Contribution to traditional media Informing teaching activities in schools & teaching curricula • Networking, partnerships and collaboration with external institutions and industry

• Identify specific potential beneficiaries and stakeholders based on the significance of your research • Reviewing who attends any public talks and lectures that you deliver and forming a profile of your audience • Considering the types of events that you are invited to attend and considering the reasons for these invitations • Keeping hold of invitations to speak publicly about your research and/or responses to public talks and lectures that you have delivered • Identifying what impacts you have achieved in the past/could achieve in the future and categorise them by impact type • Considering how you engage with the beneficiaries/users of your research and think about potentially expanding the ways in which you engage with them

• Identifying any pre-existing networks you might have outside of academia and considering if/how these existing relations could be strengthened • Identifying opportunities to build new relationships and networks outside of academia • Identifying possible opportunities for collaborations with academic and non-academic institutions, individuals and groups of individuals • Considering your digital footprint and how to enhance it.

• If your research (and the dissemination) is timed to coincide with related developments in society, economy, legislation and policy, you will increase the capacity for impacts to occur • Maintain communication with industry contacts and/or research users • Be clear about your purpose: who you are aiming to influence and why? • Consider the context in which your research is being disseminated and ensure that it is relevant to the content of your research • Involve stakeholders and potential beneficiaries in the research process where possible • Monitor and collect data relating to the usage of any websites, social media profiles and/or blogs that you use to disseminate research findings, and/or interact with the public

• • • Editorial Overview Research Output Activities Press Clippings About. me Projects Applications/Funding Impacts Create an “Impact Footprint” Linked. In Create a “Personal Impact Plan” Altmetrics Impact. Story Nectar Academia. edu University profile page Research Gate [profession al] Facebook Blog Twitter *Impact was worth 20% in REF 2014, is expected to increase to 25% in the next REF

• Keep letters, emails and invitations relating to events you attend/ participate in • Collect feedback from participants in your public engagement activities where possible • Regularly request and archive web analytics for social media profiles, blogs and/or websites you maintain • Maintain good relations with industry contacts and collaborators where possible • Archive web pages – Use British Library

• Public engagement includes ‘civic’ or ‘community engagement’ • Be specific. Set clear objectives for your dissemination or public engagement activities • Ensure that there is a mechanism for collecting feedback from participants and target groups/communities • If you organise an event, give participants the option to put their name down on a mailing list to receive information about similar events in the future • Do you possess all of the expertise that is required to carry out your public engagement activities or will you need training or involve third parties?

• Consider the potential costs of your public engagement activities • Consider who you might work with, identify existing networks and any opportunities for engagement activities to be organised with/for them • Make an effort to understand the needs and interests of your target audience • Consider the potential usefulness of a focus group to ascertain what the needs and interests of your audience are

• Collaborating with industry offers exceptional opportunities for applying your research and working together with experts in other organisations • Industry relationships lead to knowledge transfer, new ideas, prototypes and the possibility of seeing your research reach the end user as a product or service • Engagement with industry shapes the future of research in many areas and is a rapidly expanding route for funding opportunities for continued research projects

Mechanical Engineering, Art & Design, Geography & Computing – 24 th May – 9: 30 am – 12: 30 pm Allied Health and Psychology – 7 th June 1 pm – 4 pm English and History – 9 th June – 9: 30 am – 12: 30 pm (Facilitated by Sarah Hall; University of Leicester – Research Impact Strategy & Policy Manager) Education, Business and Law – 9 th June – 1 pm – 4 pm (Facilitated by Sarah Hall; University of Leicester – Research Impact Strategy & Policy Manager) Email SDBookings@Northampton. ac. uk to book This presentation was adapted from Aberystwyth University presentation at: https: //www. aber. ac. uk/impact-toolkit/