Impact case studies are stories of research impact outside of academia that are written retrospectively.
A high-quality research impact case study is:
- Narrative driven: demonstrating the difference your research made to the economy, society, environment or culture, beyond academia
- Specific: using qualitative and quantitative evidence to articulate how change occurred over a set time period
High-quality research impact case studies used for national assessment must meet further criteria. Consultation for the next ARC EI Assessment is underway to ensure the assessment meets best practice in research evaluation and respond to the needs of the university sector and other key stakeholders.
There are five key components which make a strong, evidence-based statement:
- PROBLEM
- The ‘why’: keep it simple, high-level and ideally validated by an external source
- Consider audience: reviewer may not be expert in field and/or discipline
- SOLUTION
- Tie-in the research to the ‘why’: What contribution will/did this research make towards providing solutions to the problem?
- Think beyond the output: How will/did you translate the outputs into outcomes?
- BENEFICIARIES
- Be as specific as possible: Who will or has potential to benefit? Who will/has potential to use the research?
- Clarify relationship: Are these existing relationships?
→ Need help identifying your research beneficiaries? Check out the Consider Research End-Users page
- ENGAGEMENT
- Methods: What methods will be effective/were to reach your beneficiaries?
→ Looking to track your engagement activities? Check out the templates to capture your engagement and impact in the Toolkit
- OUTCOME/IMPACT
- Outcome/Impact: Outcomes are measurable results stemming from research being used. These must be beyond academia and account for contributions to economy, society, culture environment and wellbeing. These are not the engagement activities themselves, but what happens next?
- Consider what’s in your control: It’s easy to get stuck on this aspect as long-term impact is out of our control. In the intermediate future (5-10 years) how can the research have conceptual, instrumental and/or capacity building outcomes in terms of its direct use?
To write a strong impact statement:
- Understand your audience to focus on key information;
- Keep content high-level and meaningful;
- Cover the five components listed above and balance these sections adequately;
- Ensure all statements are supported by evidence;
- Use clear and simple language;
- Engage with stakeholders;
- Name all beneficiaries and stakeholders; and
- Have a reviewer from outside your research field read over your statement.
By following these tips, you can create a clear and compelling impact statement that highlights the significance of your research and its potential impact on society.
For more information, see Kelly, W. (2021, June 1). The Prickly Impact Statement. The Research Whisperer.