ISRIA statement: ten-point guidelines for an effective process of research impact assessment
Abstract As governments, funding agencies and research organisations worldwide seek to maximise both the financial and non-financial returns on investment in research, the way the research process is organised and funded is becoming increasingly under scrutiny. There are growing demands and aspirati...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2018-02-01
|
| Series: | Health Research Policy and Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12961-018-0281-5 |
| _version_ | 1818231752554971136 |
|---|---|
| author | Paula Adam Pavel V. Ovseiko Jonathan Grant Kathryn E. A. Graham Omar F. Boukhris Anne-Maree Dowd Gert V. Balling Rikke N. Christensen Alexandra Pollitt Mark Taylor Omar Sued Saba Hinrichs-Krapels Maite Solans‐Domènech Heidi Chorzempa for the International School on Research Impact Assessment (ISRIA) |
| author_facet | Paula Adam Pavel V. Ovseiko Jonathan Grant Kathryn E. A. Graham Omar F. Boukhris Anne-Maree Dowd Gert V. Balling Rikke N. Christensen Alexandra Pollitt Mark Taylor Omar Sued Saba Hinrichs-Krapels Maite Solans‐Domènech Heidi Chorzempa for the International School on Research Impact Assessment (ISRIA) |
| author_sort | Paula Adam |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract As governments, funding agencies and research organisations worldwide seek to maximise both the financial and non-financial returns on investment in research, the way the research process is organised and funded is becoming increasingly under scrutiny. There are growing demands and aspirations to measure research impact (beyond academic publications), to understand how science works, and to optimise its societal and economic impact. In response, a multidisciplinary practice called research impact assessment is rapidly developing. Given that the practice is still in its formative stage, systematised recommendations or accepted standards for practitioners (such as funders and those responsible for managing research projects) across countries or disciplines to guide research impact assessment are not yet available. In this statement, we propose initial guidelines for a rigorous and effective process of research impact assessment applicable to all research disciplines and oriented towards practice. This statement systematises expert knowledge and practitioner experience from designing and delivering the International School on Research Impact Assessment (ISRIA). It brings together insights from over 450 experts and practitioners from 34 countries, who participated in the school during its 5-year run (from 2013 to 2017) and shares a set of core values from the school’s learning programme. These insights are distilled into ten-point guidelines, which relate to (1) context, (2) purpose, (3) stakeholders’ needs, (4) stakeholder engagement, (5) conceptual frameworks, (6) methods and data sources, (7) indicators and metrics, (8) ethics and conflicts of interest, (9) communication, and (10) community of practice. The guidelines can help practitioners improve and standardise the process of research impact assessment, but they are by no means exhaustive and require evaluation and continuous improvement. The prima facie effectiveness of the guidelines is based on the systematised expert and practitioner knowledge of the school’s faculty and participants derived from their practical experience and research evidence. The current knowledge base has gaps in terms of the geographical and scientific discipline as well as stakeholder coverage and representation. The guidelines can be further strengthened through evaluation and continuous improvement by the global research impact assessment community. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T10:55:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9e2abb32f23e4f338aced10814e9e197 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1478-4505 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T10:55:23Z |
| publishDate | 2018-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Research Policy and Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-9e2abb32f23e4f338aced10814e9e1972022-12-22T00:26:40ZengBMCHealth Research Policy and Systems1478-45052018-02-0116111610.1186/s12961-018-0281-5ISRIA statement: ten-point guidelines for an effective process of research impact assessmentPaula Adam0Pavel V. Ovseiko1Jonathan Grant2Kathryn E. A. Graham3Omar F. Boukhris4Anne-Maree Dowd5Gert V. Balling6Rikke N. Christensen7Alexandra Pollitt8Mark Taylor9Omar Sued10Saba Hinrichs-Krapels11Maite Solans‐Domènech12Heidi Chorzempa13for the International School on Research Impact Assessment (ISRIA)Agency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (AQuAS)Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, John Radcliffe HospitalThe Policy Institute, King’s College LondonAlberta InnovatesQatar National Research FundCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research OrganisationNovo Nordisk FoundationNovo Nordisk FoundationThe Policy Institute, King’s College LondonNational Institute for Health Research, Central Commissioning FacilityFundación HuéspedThe Policy Institute, King’s College LondonAgency for Health Quality and Assessment of Catalonia (AQuAS)Alberta InnovatesAbstract As governments, funding agencies and research organisations worldwide seek to maximise both the financial and non-financial returns on investment in research, the way the research process is organised and funded is becoming increasingly under scrutiny. There are growing demands and aspirations to measure research impact (beyond academic publications), to understand how science works, and to optimise its societal and economic impact. In response, a multidisciplinary practice called research impact assessment is rapidly developing. Given that the practice is still in its formative stage, systematised recommendations or accepted standards for practitioners (such as funders and those responsible for managing research projects) across countries or disciplines to guide research impact assessment are not yet available. In this statement, we propose initial guidelines for a rigorous and effective process of research impact assessment applicable to all research disciplines and oriented towards practice. This statement systematises expert knowledge and practitioner experience from designing and delivering the International School on Research Impact Assessment (ISRIA). It brings together insights from over 450 experts and practitioners from 34 countries, who participated in the school during its 5-year run (from 2013 to 2017) and shares a set of core values from the school’s learning programme. These insights are distilled into ten-point guidelines, which relate to (1) context, (2) purpose, (3) stakeholders’ needs, (4) stakeholder engagement, (5) conceptual frameworks, (6) methods and data sources, (7) indicators and metrics, (8) ethics and conflicts of interest, (9) communication, and (10) community of practice. The guidelines can help practitioners improve and standardise the process of research impact assessment, but they are by no means exhaustive and require evaluation and continuous improvement. The prima facie effectiveness of the guidelines is based on the systematised expert and practitioner knowledge of the school’s faculty and participants derived from their practical experience and research evidence. The current knowledge base has gaps in terms of the geographical and scientific discipline as well as stakeholder coverage and representation. The guidelines can be further strengthened through evaluation and continuous improvement by the global research impact assessment community.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12961-018-0281-5Research impact assessmentEvaluationScience policyScience of scienceResponsible research and innovationGuidelines |
| spellingShingle | Paula Adam Pavel V. Ovseiko Jonathan Grant Kathryn E. A. Graham Omar F. Boukhris Anne-Maree Dowd Gert V. Balling Rikke N. Christensen Alexandra Pollitt Mark Taylor Omar Sued Saba Hinrichs-Krapels Maite Solans‐Domènech Heidi Chorzempa for the International School on Research Impact Assessment (ISRIA) ISRIA statement: ten-point guidelines for an effective process of research impact assessment Health Research Policy and Systems Research impact assessment Evaluation Science policy Science of science Responsible research and innovation Guidelines |
| title | ISRIA statement: ten-point guidelines for an effective process of research impact assessment |
| title_full | ISRIA statement: ten-point guidelines for an effective process of research impact assessment |
| title_fullStr | ISRIA statement: ten-point guidelines for an effective process of research impact assessment |
| title_full_unstemmed | ISRIA statement: ten-point guidelines for an effective process of research impact assessment |
| title_short | ISRIA statement: ten-point guidelines for an effective process of research impact assessment |
| title_sort | isria statement ten point guidelines for an effective process of research impact assessment |
| topic | Research impact assessment Evaluation Science policy Science of science Responsible research and innovation Guidelines |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12961-018-0281-5 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT paulaadam isriastatementtenpointguidelinesforaneffectiveprocessofresearchimpactassessment AT pavelvovseiko isriastatementtenpointguidelinesforaneffectiveprocessofresearchimpactassessment AT jonathangrant isriastatementtenpointguidelinesforaneffectiveprocessofresearchimpactassessment AT kathryneagraham isriastatementtenpointguidelinesforaneffectiveprocessofresearchimpactassessment AT omarfboukhris isriastatementtenpointguidelinesforaneffectiveprocessofresearchimpactassessment AT annemareedowd isriastatementtenpointguidelinesforaneffectiveprocessofresearchimpactassessment AT gertvballing isriastatementtenpointguidelinesforaneffectiveprocessofresearchimpactassessment AT rikkenchristensen isriastatementtenpointguidelinesforaneffectiveprocessofresearchimpactassessment AT alexandrapollitt isriastatementtenpointguidelinesforaneffectiveprocessofresearchimpactassessment AT marktaylor isriastatementtenpointguidelinesforaneffectiveprocessofresearchimpactassessment AT omarsued isriastatementtenpointguidelinesforaneffectiveprocessofresearchimpactassessment AT sabahinrichskrapels isriastatementtenpointguidelinesforaneffectiveprocessofresearchimpactassessment AT maitesolansdomenech isriastatementtenpointguidelinesforaneffectiveprocessofresearchimpactassessment AT heidichorzempa isriastatementtenpointguidelinesforaneffectiveprocessofresearchimpactassessment AT fortheinternationalschoolonresearchimpactassessmentisria isriastatementtenpointguidelinesforaneffectiveprocessofresearchimpactassessment |