RESOURCE: Proving dissemination is only one half of your impact story: Twitter provides proof of real-time engagement with the public
Especially in arts and humanities disciplines which may not have readily quantifiable economic benefits, the movement of research from academic to public discourse may be a key component of an impact statement. For REF 2014, 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.” Researchers are increasingly encouraged to share their research “beyond academia” as a way of demonstrating their contribution to society at large. Research insights may, in the first instance at least, be interesting to people in their own right even if not more instrumentally significant.
Written by Brian S McGowan, PhD
Dr. McGowan has served in leadership positions in numerous medical educational organizations and commercial supporters and is a Fellow of the Alliance (FACEhp). He founded the Outcomes Standardization Project, launched and hosted the Alliance Podcast, and most recently launched and hosts the JCEHP Emerging Best Practices in CPD podcast. In 2012 he Co-Founded ArcheMedX, Inc, a healthcare informatics and e-learning company to apply his research in practice.
