Recording your Impact

Evidencing research impact is crucial and in this section we detail the different ways of going about collecting and recording evidence.  

It is also important to follow research good practice and to record data and evidence as they are gathered and to store them securely.

AU's Research Data Management pages detail research good practice, including the importance of secure data storage. Current research activity including research outputs, activities and impacts should be stored on PURE, the University's CRIS (Current Research Information System).

For further information regarding Research Data Management and using PURE contact research@aber.ac.uk.  

Collecting Evidence

  • Keep letters, emails and invitations relating to events you attend/ participate in
  • Collect feedback from participants in your public engagement activities where possible
  • Regularly request and archive web analytics for social media profiles, blogs and/or websites you maintain

Examples of how reach and significance might be assessed

Reach:

  • Information about the number and profile of beneficiaries, e.g. people engaged and types of audience, people benefiting economically, and people experiencing health benefits
  • Website views, page hits, website viewers, average time spent on a site, average number of pages viewed, downloads, and geographic location of users
  • Follow-on activities, rebroadcasts, podcasts, invitations to subsequent public or professional events, and media coverage

Significance:

  • Testimonials from creative practitioners, curators, company CEOs, and politicians
  • Value of economic benefit, measure of CO2 reduction, and extent of health benefits
  • Citation by journalists, and broadcasters or social media
  • Critical reviews
  • Evidence of sustainability - a sustained or ongoing engagement with a group or a significant increase in participation in events         
  • Audience / visitor feedback - through surveys, interviews or focus groups

Guidance to using testimonials:

… by Stephen Kemp:

… by FastTrack:

Note: Commercially sensitive data can be redacted after a case study has been assessed by the REF Panel. It would not enter the public domain.

Impact and PURE

Individual incidences of impact arising from your published research and / or engagement activities can be recorded within PURE, and then linked to the relevant content records (outputs, projects, etc. These impact records are different to REF impact case studies but are a useful way of recording the ‘impact footprint’ of your research. A number of impact types can be recorded on the same record and corroborating evidence and contact information can also be uploaded. Evidence of impact is of course a requirement of every REF impact case study, and, by uploading evidence to PURE, you have a secure back-up in case your copy is lost. 

There are two impact record types in PURE, ‘Impact’ and ‘Case study identifier’. The latter can be used to collate information from a number of separate impact records, to form the foundation of an impact case study for REF submission.

All records set to public visibility are made available via the Aberystwyth Research Portal. However, you can set restrictions if need be. 

How-to: Adding impact to PURE

We also use SciVal to investigate potential impact, especially policy impact.