This work was supported by Jisc [DIINN10]. More details on SROI can be found in ‘A guide to Social Return on Investment’ produced by The SROI Network (2012). HEFCE developed an initial methodology that was then tested through a pilot exercise. Gathering evidence of the links between research and impact is not only a challenge where that evidence is lacking. A key concern here is that we could find that universities which can afford to employ either consultants or impact ‘administrators’ will generate the best case studies. In this article, we draw on a broad range of examples with a focus on methods of evaluation for research impact within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). : 8 … In designing systems and tools for collating data related to impact, it is important to consider who will populate the database and ensure that the time and capability required for capture of information is considered. It is perhaps worth noting that the expert panels, who assessed the pilot exercise for the REF, commented that the evidence provided by research institutes to demonstrate impact were ‘a unique collection’. 1. Perhaps, SROI indicates the desire to be able to demonstrate the monetary value of investment and impact by some organizations. Search for other works by this author on: A White Paper on Charity Impact Measurement, A Framework to Measure the Impact of Investments in Health Research, European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Reports, ‘Estimating the Economic Value to Societies of the Impact of Health Research: A Critical Review’, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences Panel on Return on Investment in Health Research, Making an Impact. The case study of the Research Information System of the European Research Council’, E-Infrastructures for Research and Innovation: Linking Information Systems to Improve Scientific Knowledge, Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Current Research Information Systems, (June 6–9, 2012), pp. 11 Definition of Assessment 2. The development of tools and systems for assisting with impact evaluation would be very valuable. See our Privacy Policy and User Agreement for details. The most appropriate type of evaluation will vary according to the stakeholder whom we are wishing to inform. Published by Oxford University Press. It is acknowledged in the article by Mugabushaka and Papazoglou (2012) that it will take years to fully incorporate the impacts of ERC funding. Assessment involves the use of empirical data on student learning to refine programs and improve student learning. Evaluation of impact in terms of reach and significance allows all disciplines of research and types of impact to be assessed side-by-side (Scoble et al. The criteria for assessment were also supported by a model developed by Brunel for ‘measurement’ of impact that used similar measures defined as depth and spread. Systems need to be able to capture links between and evidence of the full pathway from research to impact, including knowledge exchange, outputs, outcomes, and interim impacts, to allow the route to impact to be traced. This petition was signed by 17,570 academics (52,409 academics were returned to the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise), including Nobel laureates and Fellows of the Royal Society (University and College Union 2011). The growing trend for accountability within the university system is not limited to research and is mirrored in assessments of teaching quality, which now feed into evaluation of universities to ensure fee-paying students’ satisfaction. systematic process of documenting and using empirical data to measure knowledge One might consider that by funding excellent research, impacts (including those that are unforeseen) will follow, and traditionally, assessment of university research focused on academic quality and productivity. In the UK, more sophisticated assessments of impact incorporating wider socio-economic benefits were first investigated within the fields of Biomedical and Health Sciences (Grant 2006), an area of research that wanted to be able to justify the significant investment it received. The actual product that is handed out to students for the purpose of assessing whether they have achieved a particular learning outcome(s). Attempts have been made to categorize impact evidence and data, for example, the aim of the MICE Project was to develop a set of impact indicators to enable impact to be fed into a based system. 2010). Attempting to evaluate impact to justify expenditure, showcase our work, and inform future funding decisions will only prove to be a valuable use of time and resources if we can take measures to ensure that assessment attempts will not ultimately have a negative influence on the impact of our research. 11 This framework is intended to be used as a learning tool to develop a better understanding of how research interactions lead to social impact rather than as an assessment tool for judging, showcasing, or even linking impact to a specific piece of research. From 2014, research within UK universities and institutions will be assessed through the REF; this will replace the Research Assessment Exercise, which has been used to assess UK research since the 1980s. To enable research organizations including HEIs to monitor and manage their performance and understand and disseminate the contribution that they are making to local, national, and international communities. By allowing impact to be placed in context, we answer the ‘so what?’ question that can result from quantitative data analyses, but is there a risk that the full picture may not be presented to demonstrate impact in a positive light? 2007) who concluded that the researchers and case studies could provide enough qualitative and quantitative evidence for reviewers to assess the impact arising from their research (Duryea et al. HEFCE indicated that impact should merit a 25% weighting within the REF (REF2014 2011b); however, this has been reduced for the 2014 REF to 20%, perhaps as a result of feedback and lobbying, for example, from the Russell Group and Million + group of Universities who called for impact to count for 15% (Russell Group 2009; Jump 2011) and following guidance from the expert panels undertaking the pilot exercise who suggested that during the 2014 REF, impact assessment would be in a developmental phase and that a lower weighting for impact would be appropriate with the expectation that this would be increased in subsequent assessments (REF2014 2010). Baily (1998) hold that there are eight kinds of language assessment. Definitions of research: There are several definitions of research, proposed by famous authors and scholars of their time. Here we outline a few of the most notable models that demonstrate the contrast in approaches available. Understand. Thalidomide has since been found to have beneficial effects in the treatment of certain types of cancer. Cooke and Nadim (2011) also noted that using a linear-style taxonomy did not reflect the complex networks of impacts that are generally found. 103–12. One of these, the RQF, they identified as providing a ‘promising basis for developing an impact approach for the REF’ using the case study approach. number of authors and government recommendations have advised that a clear definition of impact is required (Duryea Evaluation of impact is becoming increasingly important, both within the UK and internationally, and research and development into impact evaluation continues, for example, researchers at Brunel have developed the concept of depth and spread further into the Brunel Impact Device for Evaluation, which also assesses the degree of separation between research and impact (Scoble et al. What are the challenges associated with understanding and evaluating research impact? Impact is often the culmination of work within spanning research communities (Duryea et al. Although metrics can provide evidence of quantitative changes or impacts from our research, they are unable to adequately provide evidence of the qualitative impacts that take place and hence are not suitable for all of the impact we will encounter. They are often written with a reader from a particular stakeholder group in mind and will present a view of impact from a particular perspective. These metrics may be used in the UK to understand the benefits of research within academia and are often incorporated into the broader perspective of impact seen internationally, for example, within the Excellence in Research for Australia and using Star Metrics in the USA, in which quantitative measures are used to assess impact, for example, publications, citation, and research income. Definition of Assessment , Its Purpose in Classroom Assessment and Assessment Techniques 6. 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