(S5E8) The Future of Research Impact Culture

Research Culture Uncovered

In our weekly Research Culture Uncovered conversations we are asking what is Research Culture and why does it matter? In this final episode of Season 5, Ged Hall, is looking at the future for research impact and how it fits into research culture. The episode is based on the responses of the international research impact community to the following questions:

1. What one big change would you like to see in how research impact improves research culture in your country’s HE sector?
2. Considering this change who are the interested / relevant parties that need to be convinced to make it happen?
3. How are you trying to make that change happen within your country's HE sector?
4. How are you trying to make that change happen within your Institution or organisation?
5. What is your biggest fear for change in your country’s HE sector that would mean that research impact degrades research culture?
6. Considering this change who are the interested / relevant parties that need to be convinced to prevent this change happening?
7. How are you trying to prevent that change happening within your country's HE sector?
8. How are you trying to prevent that change happening within your Institution / Organisation?

Responses were collected through a Padlet which you can still access to do your own analysis in the spirit of Open Research.

The hopes were:

• Research impact will be valued and recognised and for that recognition to be commensurate with the expectations placed on the sector by institutions, funders and research assessment exercises.
• But rather than valuing the impact outputs we will value the process, as we must not create an impact or perish culture to go alongside the publish or perish one.
• And this valuing of the process needs to keep in mind the purpose rather than becoming a navel-gazing exercise
• There is enough resource (people, time and funding) to support impact from all disciplines and types of research and to do it well and that this should translate into all of a university's activities.
• That the sector finally recognises that research and its impact is a team game and that it values and recognises all of those in the team.

The fears were:

• That research impact will crowd out curiosity-led research.
• Impact will be tokenistic and a box-ticking exercise and that the time to properly co-produce research and impact is not possible
• That some disciplines / research with possibly less potential for impact may be defunded
• The use of poor metrics to demonstrate impact and the potential for impact being introduced into more countries research assessment exercises
• That research impact professionals won't have enough time to engage with the literature (on knowledge mobilisation) to inform their practice.

The episode then notes the ways that people are trying to realise these hopes and prevent these fears, which left the impression that there is more collaboration needed to really affect change at scale.

The episode ends with a call for action to reflect on whether more countries need a research impact professional body to be the conduit for this collaboration. Do you agree or disagree that research impact needs a professional body in your country / region? We'd love to know your views.

Organisations mentioned in the episode were:

• Research Impact Canada
• Advancing Research Impact in Society (US)
• Africa Research and Impact Network
• Universities Policy Engagement Network (UK)
• Vincula (Chile)
• Network for Advancing and Evaluating the Societal Impact of Science (AESIS Network)
• Association of Research Managers and Administrators (UK)
• PraxisAuril (UK based but global reach)

Be sure to check out the other episodes in this season to find out more about how to ensure research impact has a positive effect on your research culture.

All of our episodes can be accessed via the following playlists:

• Research Impact with Ged Hall (follow Ged on Twitter and LinkedIn)
• Open Research with Nick Sheppard (follow Nick on Twitter and LinkedIn)
• Research Careers with Ruth Winden (follow Ruth on Twitter and LinkedIn)
• Research talent management with Tony Bromley (follow Tony on Twitter and LinkedIn)
• Meet the Research Culturositists with Emma Spary (follow Emma on Twitter and LinkedIn)
• Research co-production

Follow us on twitter: @ResDevLeeds (new episodes are announced here), @OpenResLeeds, @ResCultureLeeds

Connect to us on LinkedIn: @ResearchUncoveredPodcast (new episodes are announced here)

Leeds Research Culture links:

• Researcher Development and Culture Website
• Our Concordat Implemention plans and progress
• University of Leeds Research Culture Statement
• University of Leeds Responsible Metrics Statement
• University of Leeds Open Research Statement

If you would like to contribute to a podcast episode get in touch: [e-mail]