Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A REF impact case study documents how research influenced a national clinical guideline with measurable patient outcomes.
- Is an instance
A humanities case study links scholarly research to a major museum exhibition with documented audience reach.
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
An impact case study with no underpinning research evidence meeting the quality threshold.
- Not an instance
Submitting a case study that documents engagement without specific changes beyond academia.
Editorial commentary
Impact case studies as documented for REF have become the most widely cited evidence-based impact narrative format in research assessment globally. Each case study runs four to five pages and covers summary of impact, underpinning research, references, details of the impact with corroborating evidence and named corroborators. The publicly searchable REF impact case study database (results.ref.ac.uk) is a major resource for impact studies and methodology research. See also 'REF impact case study' in the responsible-assessment domain for assessment-process detail.
References
- REF 2021 impact case study database. King's College London and Digital Science 'Nature, Scale and Beneficiaries of Research Impact' 2015.
Also known as
REF case study · ICS
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
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