Leveraging Research Beyond the Boundaries of Academia to Create Meaningful and Impactful Societal Change / Nadini Persaud.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Persaud, Nadini, author.

Dagher, Ruby, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Research--Social aspects.

Research.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

London : SAGE Publications Ltd, 2025.

Summary:

The word impact is a commonly used buzzword that conjures different images depending on context, discipline, sector, and stakeholder group. In academia, it is usually associated with quantitative measurement indicators such as journal impact factors and citation counts. However, academic research impact is more than mere quantitative indicators. It includes the facilitation of improved understanding of an issue, advancement in new and revised methodologies and theories within and across disciplines, and the resulting benefits to individuals or society (Economic and Social Research Council, as cited by U.K. Research and Innovation, 2022). The term impact is also common parlance outside of academia. The international development community seems fixated with the word (Hearn & Buffardi, 2016), with funding being tied to prospective programs that can clearly articulate expected program impact. Elsewhere, organizations tasked with program implementation use the term as a response to justify programs selected for implementation and the associated value for money. Those promoting social change talk about combined impact because policy action can produce many different types of impact. Today, it seems that everyone is trying to "achieve and demonstrate impact" (Hearn & Buffardi, 2016, p. 6). This How-to Guide is designed to (a) help readers better understand the term impact, (b) highlight the divide between academic research and practical real-world applications, (c) share with researchers potential strategies that can be used to extend the scope of impact beyond academia, and (d) discuss emerging ethical concerns that may arise when research is transferred from academia and/or controlled environments to practical real-world application.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

1-03-622261-6

9781036222611

OCLC:

1523170954