Dictionary domainTrack E
Engagement, impact, and SDG alignment
REF Impact, PPI, citizen science, SDGs.
For implementers
Operational deployment checklist for Engagement, impact, and SDG alignment: prerequisites, five deploy steps, integration notes for Pure, Symplectic Elements, Worktribe, DSpace, and more, plus the pitfalls that recur in the field.
Terms in this domain
37 terms
Implementation science
The scientific study of methods to promote the systematic uptake of research findings and other evidence-based practices into routine practice, with the aim of improving the quality and effectiveness of services and outcomes.
Bench-to-bedside
A phrase used in biomedical research to describe the translation of laboratory ('bench') discoveries into clinical practice ('bedside'), encompassing the T1 stage of translational research.
Translational research
Research that bridges discovery science and practical application, translating findings from laboratory or theoretical work into improvements in clinical care, policy, products or services.
Action research
A research approach in which researchers and practitioners work together to investigate a practical problem and develop solutions through iterative cycles of planning, action, observation and reflection.
Community-based participatory research (CBPR)
A collaborative research approach that equitably involves community members, organisational representatives and researchers in all aspects of the research process, with shared decision-making and the aim of combining knowledge with action for social change.
Lived-experience expert
A person whose personal experience of a condition, situation or issue is recognised as a form of expertise that contributes meaningfully to research, policy or practice alongside professional and academic expertise.
Co-design (research)
The collaborative design of research studies, interventions, services or products with the people who will use them or be affected by them, integrating their knowledge and perspectives from the outset.
Co-production (research)
Research carried out as an equal partnership between researchers and those who are intended to use, benefit from or be affected by the research, in which knowledge is generated together.
Engagement metric
A quantitative or structured-qualitative indicator capturing the extent, depth, reach or quality of engagement between researchers and non-academic stakeholders or publics.
Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI)
A framework that asks research and innovation actors to anticipate and assess potential implications and societal expectations of their work, with a view to fostering the design of inclusive and sustainable outcomes.
Mission-oriented research
Research designed to achieve specific, time-bound, ambitious societal missions, drawing on multiple disciplines and stakeholder partnerships, in the tradition argued for by Mariana Mazzucato.
SDG-aligned research
Research that is explicitly designed, framed or assessed in relation to specific Sustainable Development Goals and their targets, with the intent of contributing to their achievement.
SDG 17 (Partnerships)
The seventeenth Sustainable Development Goal: strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development.
SDG 9 (Industry Innovation)
The ninth Sustainable Development Goal: build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation.
SDG 4 (Quality Education)
The fourth Sustainable Development Goal: ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
SDG mapping (research output)
The practice of classifying research outputs, projects or programmes against one or more Sustainable Development Goals or targets, to understand alignment, track contributions, and communicate research relevance.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The 17 global goals adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015 as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, addressing interlinked global challenges including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice.
ECSA (European Citizen Science Association)
A European network of citizen-science practitioners, researchers and project owners that promotes the practice, quality and recognition of citizen science across Europe and internationally.
Citizen science
Research in which members of the general public actively participate in the scientific process, including problem framing, data collection, analysis or dissemination, often at large scale and with substantive contribution.
Patient partner
A patient, service user, carer or member of the public who is actively involved in shaping and conducting research as a recognised partner, typically with named role, compensation and decision-making influence.
Patient and Public Involvement (PPI)
Research being carried out 'with' or 'by' members of the public rather than 'to', 'about' or 'for' them, as defined by INVOLVE (the UK national advisory group for PPI).
Public engagement with research (PER)
A subset of public engagement focused specifically on engaging publics with research processes and outcomes, distinguished from public engagement with science or with higher education more broadly.
Public engagement (PE)
The myriad ways in which the activity and benefits of higher education and research can be shared with the public, often involving two-way interaction to generate mutual benefit, as defined by the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE).
Knowledge exchange (KE)
A two-way process through which knowledge, ideas and experiences are shared between researchers and non-academic partners (such as businesses, public services, third sector, communities) to mutual benefit.
Knowledge mobilisation (KMb)
The processes by which research evidence and other forms of knowledge are made accessible, useful and used by communities, practitioners, policymakers and other stakeholders to inform decisions and action.
Knowledge translation (KT)
The dynamic and iterative process that includes synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically sound application of knowledge to improve health and provide more effective health services and products, as defined by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
Pathway to impact
An articulated sequence of activities, intermediate outcomes and stakeholder engagements through which research findings are expected to translate into beneficial change beyond academia.
Theory of change
An explicit, testable map of how and why a research project, programme or intervention is expected to lead to specified outcomes, identifying the causal pathway and necessary intermediate conditions.
Impact evaluation
The systematic assessment of whether and how a research output, programme or portfolio has produced specific effects beyond academia.
Impact case study (REF)
See 'REF impact case study' (responsible-assessment). A structured narrative documenting how specific research has produced effects beyond academia, submitted as part of UK Research Excellence Framework assessment.
Environmental impact
The contribution that research makes to environmental outcomes, including biodiversity, conservation, ecosystem services, climate, pollution reduction, sustainability and resource use.
Cultural impact
The contribution that research makes to cultural understanding, heritage, the arts, creative industries, and the ways societies make meaning of their past, present and future.
Policy impact
The contribution that research makes to the formulation, content or implementation of public policy at local, national or international levels.
Economic impact
The contribution that research makes to the economy, including productivity gains, new products and services, cost savings, employment, gross-value-added effects and competitiveness.
Societal impact
The contribution that research makes to society in terms of changes to social practices, public attitudes, community wellbeing, civic engagement, equity, or quality of life.
Academic impact
The contribution that research makes to the advancement of scientific knowledge and to other research communities, typically evidenced through citations, methods uptake, theoretical influence and training of researchers.
Research impact
The demonstrable contribution that research makes to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life beyond academia.
