Session 4E: ‘What is Real World Impact?’ Looking at Impact Across a Spectrum of Influence, Attention and Affecting Change
An ever greater emphasis is being put upon the need for academic research to make an impact in the real world, whether that be supporting teaching, helping organizations to be better managed, influencing public bodies and policymakers, contributing to economic development, or benefitting society and the environment. While citations are the established measure of academic influence, and downloads and altmetrics can be seen as measures of ‘attention,’ funders and institutions are now looking for evidence of measurable change.
This panel will look at whether the current scholarly publishing ecosystem is in a good position to deliver real world impact, and will question whether scholarly publishers are well-placed to translate academic research into implications for policy and practice. Drawing from new, primary research, the session will explore how academics and practitioners view the impact of academic output, will explore evidence of theory being applied in practice, and look at how pathways to impact are achieved.
