What is research impact?
Impact is about influencing change or having a positive effect on something or someone - essentially it’s about making a difference.
When we talk about research impact, we’re referring to the difference that the University’s research makes beyond academia. This can happen when the right person reads an article, hears a researcher speak, and applies their findings, or it can develop over time through collaboration with people, organisations or businesses.
Impact can be positive or negative and may be perceived differently by various groups. These perceptions can shift as new research reveals complexities or risks.
The research impact team is here to support researchers to maximise the positive impact of their research.
Examples of research impact
Research can bring about changes in areas affecting people, society, and the environment. Examples can include improved health and wellbeing, changes in understanding or perception, uptake of new technologies or processes and associated benefits, and changes to policies and processes. REF2021 Annex A Examples of impacts and indicators provides a rather extensive list and can be a good place to start if you’re trying to work out what impact looks like in your field.
Research impact isn’t just about making things happen — it can also involve stopping something with negative consequences.
Activity, Outcome or Impact?
It’s not always easy to distinguish between impact and the activities, outputs, outcomes, or pathways that can lead to it. Not every positive result is impact, but they can be important steps toward it.
Activity = the thing you do as part of, or to share, your research
For example:
- Organising a workshop or training session
- Developing a new product or process
- Implementing a public engagement or information campaign
- Providing support or services to a community
Activities are often measuerd and reported on in terms of their output e.g. the number of workshops delivered or people trained, products developed, material developed and distributed, or interventions delivered.
Outcome = the immediate result of the thing you did
For example:
- Increased knowledge or skills among workshop participants
- Industry adoption of a new product or process
- Increased awareness of an issue after a public engagement campaign
- Service user or community member needs are met
Impact = the broader, long-term change that occurs as a result of activities and outcomes
This change can be on an individual, organisational, community, or societal level. For example:
- A more educated and skilled workforce doing things differently and that having positive effects (e.g. they deliver better outcomes, make less mistakes, or are more efficient)
- Improved efficiency or economic growth driven by new products or innovations
- Behaviour changes from increased awareness of issue following a public engagement campaign (and ultimately positive outcomes from those behaviour changes)
- Social change or improved quality of life from sustained community services
Impact often results from a combination of activities and accumulated positive outcomes over time.
While impact can sometimes happen serendipitously, relying on luck isn’t a strategy. Our guidance and resources can help maximise the chances of your research making a real difference.