It is possible to incorporate both metrics and narratives within systems, for example, within the Research Outcomes System and Researchfish, currently used by several of the UK research councils to allow impacts to be recorded; although recording narratives has the advantage of allowing some context to be documented, it may make the evidence less flexible for use by different stakeholder groups (which include government, funding bodies, research assessment agencies, research providers, and user communities) for whom the purpose of analysis may vary (Davies et al. Perhaps the most extended definition of evaluation has been supplied by C.E.Beeby (1977). A discussion on the benefits and drawbacks of a range of evaluation tools (bibliometrics, economic rate of return, peer review, case study, logic modelling, and benchmarking) can be found in the article by Grant (2006). Definitions of Evaluation ( by different authors) According to Hanna- "The process of gathering and interpreted evidence changes in the behavior of all students as they progress through school is called evaluation". HEFCE developed an initial methodology that was then tested through a pilot exercise. By asking academics to consider the impact of the research they undertake and by reviewing and funding them accordingly, the result may be to compromise research by steering it away from the imaginative and creative quest for knowledge. While defining the terminology used to understand impact and indicators will enable comparable data to be stored and shared between organizations, we would recommend that any categorization of impacts be flexible such that impacts arising from non-standard routes can be placed. Despite many attempts to replace it, no alternative definition has . n.d.). Given that the type of impact we might expect varies according to research discipline, impact-specific challenges present us with the problem that an evaluation mechanism may not fairly compare impact between research disciplines. Cb)5. For example, the development of a spin out can take place in a very short period, whereas it took around 30 years from the discovery of DNA before technology was developed to enable DNA fingerprinting. This is particularly recognized in the development of new government policy where findings can influence policy debate and policy change, without recognition of the contributing research (Davies et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The transition to routine capture of impact data not only requires the development of tools and systems to help with implementation but also a cultural change to develop practices, currently undertaken by a few to be incorporated as standard behaviour among researchers and universities. To understand the method and routes by which research leads to impacts to maximize on the findings that come out of research and develop better ways of delivering impact. Assessment for learning is ongoing, and requires deep involvement on the part of the learner in clarifying outcomes, monitoring on-going learning, collecting evidence and presenting evidence of learning to others.. The university imparts information, but it imparts it imaginatively. This raises the questions of whether UK business and industry should not invest in the research that will deliver them impacts and who will fund basic research if not the government? The Author 2013. Describe and use several methods for finding previous research on a particular research idea or question. The case study does present evidence from a particular perspective and may need to be adapted for use with different stakeholders. For example, following the discovery of a new potential drug, preclinical work is required, followed by Phase 1, 2, and 3 trials, and then regulatory approval is granted before the drug is used to deliver potential health benefits. One notable definition is provided by Scriven (1991) and later adopted by the American Evaluation Association (): "Evaluation is the systematic process to determine merit, worth, value, or . CERIF (Common European Research Information Format) was developed for this purpose, first released in 1991; a number of projects and systems across Europe such as the ERC Research Information System (Mugabushaka and Papazoglou 2012) are being developed as CERIF-compatible. Accountability. stream Teacher Education: Pre-Service and In-Service, Introduction to Educational Research Methodology, Teacher Education: Pre-Service & In-Service, Difference and Relationship Between Measurement, Assessment and Evaluation in Education, Concept and Importance of Measurement Assessment and Evaluation in Education, Purpose, Aims and Objective of Assessment and Evaluation in Education, Main Types of Assessment in Education and their Purposes, Main Types of Evaluation in Education with Examples, Critical Review of Current Evaluation Practices B.Ed Notes, Compare and Contrast Formative and Summative Evaluation in Curriculum Development B.ED Notes, Difference Between Prognostic and Diagnostic Evaluation in Education with Examples, Similarities and Difference Between Norm-Referenced Test and Criterion-Referenced Test with Examples, Difference Between Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation in Education, Difference between Blooms Taxonomy and Revised Blooms Taxonomy by Anderson 2001, Cognitive Affective and Psychomotor Domains of Learning Revised Blooms Taxonomy 2001, Revised Blooms Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, 7 Types and Forms of Questions with its Advantages, VSA, SA, ET, Objective Type and Situation Based Questions, Definition and Characteristics of Achievement Test B.Ed Notes, Steps, Procedure and Uses of Achievement Test B.Ed Notes, Meaning, Types and Characteristics of diagnostic test in Education B.ED Notes, Advantages and Disadvantages of Diagnostic Test in Education B.ED Notes, Types of Tasks: Projects, Assignments, Performances B.ED Notes, Need and Importance of CCE: Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation B.Ed Notes, Characteristics & Problems Faced by Teachers in Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation, Meaning and Construction of Process Oriented Tools B.ED Notes, Components, Advantages and Disadvantages of Observation Schedule, Observation Techniques of Checklist and Rating Scale, Advantages and Disadvantages of Checklist and Rating Scale, Anecdotal Records Advantages and Disadvantages B.ED Notes, Types and Importance of Group Processes and Group Dynamics, Types, Uses, Advantages & Disadvantages of Sociometric Techniques, Stages of Group Processes & Development: Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing, Adjourning, Assessment Criteria of Social Skills in Collaborative or Cooperative Learning Situations, Portfolio Assessment: Meaning, Scope and Uses for Students Performance, Different Methods and Steps Involved in Developing Assessment Portfolio, Characteristics & Development of Rubrics as Tools of Assessment, Types of Rubrics as an Assessment Tool B.ED Notes, Advantages and Disadvantages of Rubrics in Assessment, Types & Importance of Descriptive Statistics B.ED Notes, What is the Difference Between Descriptive and Inferential Statistics with Examples, Central Tendency and Variability Measures & Difference, What are the Different Types of Graphical Representation & its importance for Performance Assessment, Properties and Uses of Normal Probability Curve (NPC) in Interpretation of Test Scores, Meaning & Types of Grading System in Education, Grading System in Education Advantages and Disadvantages B.ED Notes, 7 Types of Feedback in Education & Advantages and Disadvantages, Role of Feedback in Teaching Learning Process, How to Identify Learners Strengths and Weaknesses, Difference between Assessment of Learning and Assessment for Learning in Tabular Form, Critical Review of Current Evaluation Practices and their Assumptions about Learning and Development, The Concept of Test, Measurement, Assessment and Evaluation in Education. 0000334683 00000 n In development of the RQF, The Allen Consulting Group (2005) highlighted that defining a time lag between research and impact was difficult. This database of evidence needs to establish both where impact can be directly attributed to a piece of research as well as various contributions to impact made during the pathway. Indicators, evidence, and impact within systems, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills 2012, http://www.arc.gov.au/pdf/ERA_Indicator_Principles.pdf, http://www.charitystar.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Return_on_donations_a_white_paper_on_charity_impact_measurement.pdf, http://www.oecd.org/science/innovationinsciencetechnologyandindustry/37450246.pdf, http://www.cahs-acss.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/ROI_FullReport.pdf, http://mice.cerch.kcl.ac.uk/wp-uploads/2011/07/MICE_report_Goldsmiths_final.pdf, http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=409614§ioncode=26, http://www.odi.org.uk/rapid/Events/ESRC/docs/background_paper.pdf, http://www.iscintelligence.com/archivos_subidos/usfacultyburden_5.pdf, http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/tag/claire-donovan/, http://www.atn.edu.au/docs/Research%20Global%20-%20Measuring%20the%20impact%20of%20research.pdf, http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/10-099.pdf, http://www.esf.org/index.php?eID=tx_ccdamdl_file&p[file]=25668&p[dl]=1&p[pid]=6767&p[site]=European%20Science%20Foundation&p[t]=1351858982&hash=93e987c5832f10aeee3911bac23b4e0f&l=en, http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/2007/RAND_RB9202.pdf, http://www.rand.org/pubs/documented_briefings/2010/RAND_DB578.pdf, http://ukirc.ac.uk/object/report/8025/doc/CIHE_0612ImpactReport_summary.pdf, http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storyCode=415340§ioncode=26, http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/sites/default/files/80096%20NCCPE%20Social%20Value%20Report.pdf, http://www2.lse.ac.uk/government/research/resgroups/LSEPublicPolicy/Docs/LSE_Impact_Handbook_April_2011.pdf, http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/media/uploads/documents/publications/340.pdf, http://www.ref.ac.uk/media/ref/content/pub/researchexcellenceframeworkimpactpilotexercisefindingsoftheexpertpanels/re01_10.pdf, http://www.ref.ac.uk/media/ref/content/pub/assessmentframeworkandguidanceonsubmissions/02_11.pdf, http://www.ref.ac.uk/media/ref/content/pub/assessmentframeworkandguidanceonsubmissions/GOS%20including%20addendum.pdf, http://www.ref.ac.uk/media/ref/content/pub/panelcriteriaandworkingmethods/01_12.pdf, http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/uploads/REF-consultation-response-FINAL-Dec09.pdf, http://www.siampi.eu/Pages/SIA/12/625.bGFuZz1FTkc.html, http://www.siampi.eu/Content/SIAMPI/SIAMPI_Final%20report.pdf, http://www.thesroinetwork.org/publications/doc_details/241-a-guide-to-social-return-on-investment-2012, http://www.ucu.org.uk/media/pdf/n/q/ucu_REFstatement_finalsignatures.pdf, http://www.esrc.ac.uk/_images/Case_Study_of_the_Future_of_Work_Programme_Volume_2_tcm8-4563.pdf, Receive exclusive offers and updates from Oxford Academic, Automated collation of evidence is difficult, Allows evidence to be contextualized and a story told, Incorporating perspective can make it difficult to assess critically, Enables assessment in the absence of quantitative data, Preserves distinctive account or disciplinary perspective, Rewards those who can write well, and/or afford to pay for external input. Definition of Evaluation by Different Authors Tuckman: Evaluation is a process wherein the parts, processes, or outcomes of a programme are examined to see whether they are satisfactory, particularly with reference to the stated objectives of the programme our own expectations, or our own standards of excellence. Capturing data, interactions, and indicators as they emerge increases the chance of capturing all relevant information and tools to enable researchers to capture much of this would be valuable. The most appropriate type of evaluation will vary according to the stakeholder whom we are wishing to inform. While aspects of impact can be adequately interpreted using metrics, narratives, and other evidence, the mixed-method case study approach is an excellent means of pulling all available information, data, and evidence together, allowing a comprehensive summary of the impact within context. Definition of Evaluation "Evaluation is the collection, analysis and interpretation of information about any aspect of a programme of education, as part of a recognised process of judging its effectiveness, its efficiency and any other outcomes it may have." Mary Thorpe 2. Two areas of research impact health and biomedical sciences and the social sciences have received particular attention in the literature by comparison with, for example, the arts. To enable research organizations including HEIs to monitor and manage their performance and understand and disseminate the contribution that they are making to local, national, and international communities. 0000001862 00000 n An evaluation essay is a composition that offers value judgments about a particular subject according to a set of criteria. To evaluate impact, case studies were interrogated and verifiable indicators assessed to determine whether research had led to reciprocal engagement, adoption of research findings, or public value. "Evaluation is a process of judging the value of something by certain appraisal." Characteristics of evaluation in Education Below are some of the characteristics of evaluation in education, Continuous Process Comprehensive Child-Centered Cooperative Process Common Practice Teaching Methods Multiple Aspects Continuous Process In 200910, the REF team conducted a pilot study for the REF involving 29 institutions, submitting case studies to one of five units of assessment (in clinical medicine, physics, earth systems and environmental sciences, social work and social policy, and English language and literature) (REF2014 2010). Recommendations from the REF pilot were that the panel should be able to extend the time frame where appropriate; this, however, poses difficult decisions when submitting a case study to the REF as to what the view of the panel will be and whether if deemed inappropriate this will render the case study unclassified. evaluation practice and systems that go beyond the criteria and their definitions. Perhaps it is time for a generic guide based on types of impact rather than research discipline? Also called evaluative writing, evaluative essay or report, and critical evaluation essay . These case studies were reviewed by expert panels and, as with the RQF, they found that it was possible to assess impact and develop impact profiles using the case study approach (REF2014 2010). In education, the term assessment refers to the wide variety of methods or tools that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress, skill acquisition, or educational needs of students. Different authors have different notions of educational evaluation. An alternative approach was suggested for the RQF in Australia, where it was proposed that types of impact be compared rather than impact from specific disciplines. Metrics in themselves cannot convey the full impact; however, they are often viewed as powerful and unequivocal forms of evidence. 0000011201 00000 n n.d.). 2007). different things to different people, and it is primarily a function of the application, as will be seen in the following. What are the reasons behind trying to understand and evaluate research impact? The Payback Framework is possibly the most widely used and adapted model for impact assessment (Wooding et al. This transdisciplinary way of thinking about evaluation provides a constant source of innovative ideas for improving how we evaluate. A Preferred Framework and Indicators to Measure Returns on Investment in Health Research, Measuring Impact Under CERIF at Goldsmiths, Anti-Impact Campaigns Poster Boy Sticks up for the Ivory Tower. However, there has been recognition that this time window may be insufficient in some instances, with architecture being granted an additional 5-year period (REF2014 2012); why only architecture has been granted this dispensation is not clear, when similar cases could be made for medicine, physics, or even English literature. Although it can be envisaged that the range of impacts derived from research of different disciplines are likely to vary, one might question whether it makes sense to compare impacts within disciplines when the range of impact can vary enormously, for example, from business development to cultural changes or saving lives? Explain. Definitions of Performance Appraisal - By McGregor and Dale Beach . There is a great deal of interest in collating terms for impact and indicators of impact. The origin is from the Latin term 'valere' meaning "be strong, be well; be of value, or be worth". In this case, a specific definition may be required, for example, in the Research Excellence Framework (REF), Assessment framework and guidance on submissions (REF2014 2011b), which defines impact as, an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia. And also that people who are recognized as authors, understand their responsibility and accountability for what is being published. Merit refers to the intrinsic value of a program, for example, how effective it is in meeting the needs those it is intended help. 2007). Impact assessments raise concerns over the steer of research towards disciplines and topics in which impact is more easily evidenced and that provide economic impacts that could subsequently lead to a devaluation of blue skies research. Aspects of impact, such as value of Intellectual Property, are currently recorded by universities in the UK through their Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey return to Higher Education Statistics Agency; however, as with other public and charitable sector organizations, showcasing impact is an important part of attracting and retaining donors and support (Kelly and McNicoll 2011). Any tool for impact evaluation needs to be flexible, such that it enables access to impact data for a variety of purposes (Scoble et al. The traditional form of evaluation of university research in the UK was based on measuring academic impact and quality through a process of peer review (Grant 2006). An evaluation essay or report is a type of argument that provides evidence to justify a writer's opinions about a subject. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. To understand the socio-economic value of research and subsequently inform funding decisions. It is perhaps worth noting that the expert panels, who assessed the pilot exercise for the REF, commented that the evidence provided by research institutes to demonstrate impact were a unique collection. The book also explores how different aspects of citizenship, such as attitudes towards diverse population groups and concerns for social issues, relate to classical definitions of norm-based citizenship from the political sciences. 2005; Wooding et al. They aim to enable the instructors to determine how much the learners have understood what the teacher has taught in the class and how much they can apply the knowledge of what has been taught in the class as well. In the educational context, the . This distinction is not so clear in impact assessments outside of the UK, where academic outputs and socio-economic impacts are often viewed as one, to give an overall assessment of value and change created through research. Measurement assessment and evaluation also enables educators to measure the skills, knowledge, beliefs, and attitude of the learners. The exploitation of research to provide impact occurs through a complex variety of processes, individuals, and organizations, and therefore, attributing the contribution made by a specific individual, piece of research, funding, strategy, or organization to an impact is not straight forward. When considering the impact that is generated as a result of research, a number of authors and government recommendations have advised that a clear definition of impact is required (Duryea, Hochman, and Parfitt 2007; Grant et al. Throughout history, the activities of a university have been to provide both education and research, but the fundamental purpose of a university was perhaps described in the writings of mathematician and philosopher Alfred North Whitehead (1929). Despite the concerns raised, the broader socio-economic impacts of research will be included and count for 20% of the overall research assessment, as part of the REF in 2014. (2007:11-12), describes and explains the different types of value claim. Citations (outside of academia) and documentation can be used as evidence to demonstrate the use research findings in developing new ideas and products for example. Clearly there is the possibility that the potential new drug will fail at any one of these phases but each phase can be classed as an interim impact of the original discovery work on route to the delivery of health benefits, but the time at which an impact assessment takes place will influence the degree of impact that has taken place. The Payback Framework has been adopted internationally, largely within the health sector, by organizations such as the Canadian Institute of Health Research, the Dutch Public Health Authority, the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Welfare Bureau in Hong Kong (Bernstein et al. Providing advice and guidance within specific disciplines is undoubtedly helpful. 4. Enhancing Impact. According to Hanna- " The process of gathering and interpreted evidence changes in the behavior of all students as they progress through school is called evaluation". These traditional bibliometric techniques can be regarded as giving only a partial picture of full impact (Bornmann and Marx 2013) with no link to causality. A variety of types of indicators can be captured within systems; however, it is important that these are universally understood. Professor James Ladyman, at the University of Bristol, a vocal adversary of awarding funding based on the assessment of research impact, has been quoted as saying that inclusion of impact in the REF will create selection pressure, promoting academic research that has more direct economic impact or which is easier to explain to the public (Corbyn 2009). We take a more focused look at the impact component of the UK Research Excellence Framework taking place in 2014 and some of the challenges to evaluating impact and the role that systems might play in the future for capturing the links between research and impact and the requirements we have for these systems. On the societal impact of publicly funded Circular Bioeconomy research in Europe, Devices of evaluation: Institutionalization and impactIntroduction to the special issue, The rocky road to translational science: An analysis of Clinical and Translational Science Awards, The nexus between research impact and sustainability assessment: From stakeholders perspective. Collating the evidence and indicators of impact is a significant task that is being undertaken within universities and institutions globally. RAND selected four frameworks to represent the international arena (Grant et al. This framework is intended to be used as a learning tool to develop a better understanding of how research interactions lead to social impact rather than as an assessment tool for judging, showcasing, or even linking impact to a specific piece of research. Other approaches to impact evaluation such as contribution analysis, process tracing, qualitative comparative analysis, and theory-based evaluation designs (e.g., Stern, Stame, Mayne, Forss, & Befani, 2012) do not necessarily employ explicit counterfactual logic for causal inference and do not introduce observation-based definitions. 2005). In the majority of cases, a number of types of evidence will be required to provide an overview of impact. 0000008591 00000 n What are the methodologies and frameworks that have been employed globally to assess research impact and how do these compare? Published by Oxford University Press. As part of this review, we aim to explore the following questions: What are the reasons behind trying to understand and evaluate research impact? The difficulty then is how to determine what the contribution has been in the absence of adequate evidence and how we ensure that research that results in impacts that cannot be evidenced is valued and supported. One of the advantages of this method is that less input is required compared with capturing the full route from research to impact. To demonstrate to government, stakeholders, and the wider public the value of research. Wigley (1988, p 21) defines it as "a data reduction process that involves the . This atmosphere of excitement, arising from imaginative consideration transforms knowledge.. << /Length 5 0 R /Filter /FlateDecode >> 0000001087 00000 n RAND Europe, Capturing Research Impacts. Where narratives are used in conjunction with metrics, a complete picture of impact can be developed, again from a particular perspective but with the evidence available to corroborate the claims made. Figure 1, replicated from Hughes and Martin (2012), illustrates how the ease with which impact can be attributed decreases with time, whereas the impact, or effect of complementary assets, increases, highlighting the problem that it may take a considerable amount of time for the full impact of a piece of research to develop but because of this time and the increase in complexity of the networks involved in translating the research and interim impacts, it is more difficult to attribute and link back to a contributing piece of research. Impact is assessed alongside research outputs and environment to provide an evaluation of research taking place within an institution. As a result, numerous and widely varying models and frameworks for assessing impact exist. Reviewing the research literature means finding, reading, and summarizing the published research relevant to your question. 0000001883 00000 n In this article, we draw on a broad range of examples with a focus on methods of evaluation for research impact within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The advantages and disadvantages of the case study approach. HEIs overview. 0000348060 00000 n Search for other works by this author on: A White Paper on Charity Impact Measurement, A Framework to Measure the Impact of Investments in Health Research, European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Reports, Estimating the Economic Value to Societies of the Impact of Health Research: A Critical Review, Bulletin of the World Health Organization, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences Panel on Return on Investment in Health Research, Making an Impact. The introduction of impact assessments with the requirement to collate evidence retrospectively poses difficulties because evidence, measurements, and baselines have, in many cases, not been collected and may no longer be available. 2008; CAHS 2009; Spaapen et al. There has been a drive from the UK government through Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Research Councils (HM Treasury 2004) to account for the spending of public money by demonstrating the value of research to tax payers, voters, and the public in terms of socio-economic benefits (European Science Foundation 2009), in effect, justifying this expenditure (Davies Nutley, and Walter 2005; Hanney and Gonzlez-Block 2011). From the outset, we note that the understanding of the term impact differs between users and audiences. (2005), Wooding et al. 0000008675 00000 n The term "assessment" may be defined in multiple ways by different individuals or institutions, perhaps with different goals. In designing systems and tools for collating data related to impact, it is important to consider who will populate the database and ensure that the time and capability required for capture of information is considered. The Oxford English Dictionary defines impact as a 'Marked effect or influence', this is clearly a very broad definition. From an international perspective, this represents a step change in the comprehensive nature to which impact will be assessed within universities and research institutes, incorporating impact from across all research disciplines. In the UK, the Russell Group Universities responded to the REF consultation by recommending that no time lag be put on the delivery of impact from a piece of research citing examples such as the development of cardiovascular disease treatments, which take between 10 and 25 years from research to impact (Russell Group 2009).
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