How to measure social impact?5 answersMeasuring social impact involves evaluating the effects of organizational activities on society. This process requires identifying key intended outcomes, considering various stakeholders, and utilizing different research designs and evidence types. Methods like the Social Return on Investment (SROI) approach can help quantify impacts and demonstrate value to investors and funders. Different conventions, such as the "managerial convention" and the "deliberative convention," influence how social impact is measured, reflecting varying perceptions of what constitutes a good evaluation. Challenges in social impact measurement include limited resources, the need for digital tools, and the increasing demand for proof of impact from stakeholders and funders. Developing open-source tools like the proposed social impact analysis tool can aid in quantifying impacts and addressing current measurement challenges.
What is the significance of altmetrics in measuring the impact of academic research?4 answersAltmetrics are web-based quantitative indicators that supplement traditional citation counts in measuring the impact of academic research. They are based on user interactions on the internet and social media platforms, providing real-time metrics that reflect the outreach of scientific research to both academic and non-academic audiences. Altmetrics have been found to be better indicators of research quality than previously thought, although not as strong as raw and field-normalized citation counts. They can complement traditional metrics by representing the immediate impact of a paper and its impact outside of academia, potentially providing a more comprehensive picture of overall scientific impact. Altmetrics, such as Mendeley reader counts and tweet counts, have been shown to be relatively strong indicators of research quality in many fields, particularly in the health and physical sciences. Altmetrics can also be used to measure serendipity in research discovery, as they capture user interactions and reactions to randomly recommended scientific publications.
What are the different ways to measure research and development?5 answersA wide variety of methodologies exist to measure research and development. These include surveys, statistical and econometric estimations, patent analyses, bibliometrics, scientometrics, network analyses, case studies, and historical tracings. Performance measurements of R&D collaboration are also important, and can be divided into categories such as knowledge, efficiency, resources, markets, and relationships. Additionally, the values of researchers play a role in measuring research and development. Academic research values can be conceptualized through theoretical insights and empirical data, leading to a better understanding of the different values researchers have.
Why measuring the impact of scholarly publications is important?2 answersMeasuring the impact of scholarly publications is important because it allows for the assessment of researchers, institutions, and the advancement of science itself. Common metrics such as citations, journal impact factor, and indices like the H-index are used to capture scientists' contributions to their field. These metrics are used to inform faculty hiring and promotion, rank grant funding applications, and compare researchers' productivity. However, these metrics may not capture the socioeconomic impact of health research and can lead scientists to neglect other important areas. Altmetrics, a nontraditional metric, is being used to assess research impact and measure the visibility, impact, and quality of articles. The use of citation counts to evaluate scientific output has become a tool of scientific policy and is applied in editorial procedures, evaluation of research groups, and the concession of grants and academic positions. Despite criticisms, the assessment of scientific research remains a preoccupation due to the competitive nature of cutting-edge research and the restrictions of metric factors.
How can research impact be measured?5 answersResearch impact can be measured through various methods and tools. One approach is to use common metrics such as citations generated by peer-reviewed publications, journal impact factor, and indices that combine publication and citation count. These metrics are often used by academic scientists and administrators to evaluate researchers' productivity and inform faculty hiring and promotion decisions. Another way to measure research impact is through the assessment of research utilization and engagement. This involves evaluating how research is taken up, used, and reused in policy and practice settings, and linking research processes or outputs to wider changes. The Research Contribution Framework is an empirically grounded framework that can be used to assess the impact of research on policy and practice, taking into account contextual factors that influence research impact. Additionally, there is a need to consider the challenges and consequences of incentivizing and rewarding specific articulations of research impact, and to ensure that the current framework does not favor certain academics and research topics over others.
How can research impact to policy making be measured?5 answersResearch impact on policy making can be measured through various methods. One approach is to use social network analysis and qualitative analysis of interviews to understand the social processes that mediate the generation of impact from research. Another method involves text-mining techniques to identify mentions of research outputs in policy documents, which can help researchers and institutions understand the real-world uses of their work. Additionally, conceptual frameworks can be used to examine the influences on research uptake in specific settings and guide attempts to ensure uptake of research findings. It is important to consider both generic determinants of research impact and the specificities of the policy area being studied. Continued multi-sectoral work and prospective approaches are also needed to better understand and measure research uptake in policy making.