Research impact is the demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to academia, society and the economy:
- Academic impact : Contribution to academic advances, across and within disciplines, in understanding, methods, theory and application
- Societal impact: Benefit to individuals, organizations and nations by enhancing quality of life, health and creative output, and increasing the effectiveness of public services and policy
- Economic impact: Attracting investment, wealth creation, enhanced national and global competitiveness
The above statements were adapted from UK Research and Innovation.
There are several reasons to measure your research impact:
- Application for promotion or tenure
- Quantify return on research investment for grant renewals and progress reports
- Future funding requests
- Identify who is using your work and confirm that it is appropriately credited
- Identify collaborators within or outside of your discipline
