Measure Impact

Collecting evidence of research impact is essential to demonstrate the benefits achieved.

Points to remember:

• Evidence is used as an indicator of change and needs to be high quality, independent, verifiable and robust.
• Demonstrating impact with evidence can assist with funding and promotion applications, publishing strategy, academic CVs and research assessment.
• Impact can occur throughout the entire research cycle so a continuous collection of impact and engagement evidence over time is recommended from the start of the research project until impact is achieved.
• Collect high-quality, independent, and verifiable evidence throughout the entire research cycle.
• Explore diverse types of evidence, collecting gradually, identifying types of evidence based on impact goals, and communicating early with stakeholders.
• Potential sources of evidence include advisory boards, awards, policy changes, social media, and stakeholder information.
• Use Impact Tracker, a central software platform, to store, validate and organize research impact and engagement evidence.

Impact Tracker is a central, easy-to-use impact tracking software platform available to all UQ staff for identifying, storing, validating and organising research impact and engagement evidence. By using Impact Tracker and related tools to gradually build an evidence collection of indicators, types and sources across contexts and with different approaches, we can demonstrate how the impact occurred and show the pathway from research to impact. 

​​​​​​Key point: Use the little and often approach with Impact Tracker to store your evidence in one accessible location. 

When collecting evidence, first determine the impact indicators (ie benefits or changes that have occurred), then identify forms of evidence that can support those indicators. There are endless ways that impact may result from research so be thorough and get creative to record evidence as it arises.   

• Start collecting evidence early and consistently through the research lifecycle to ensure its robustness
• Diversify your evidence collection by exploring different types of impact and engagement evidence
• Collaborate with stakeholders and partners by communicating early about what type of evidence you need, such as testimonials and reports
• Align your evidence collection with your impact goals, activities, and success measures to maximise its relevance and effectiveness
• Ensure that your impact evidence is accessible and user-friendly, making it easy for others to understand and appreciate
• Use impact evidence to showcase the benefits of your research to stakeholders and other key audiences
• Supplement your impact evidence with a combination of simple narratives, empirical data, and social media analytics to add depth and credibility to your story
• Clearly link your research to its impact by tracing a clear pathway through engagement and impact evidence 

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Research Impact Assessment (RIA) plays a crucial role in ensuring that research investments are optimised to generate the greatest possible impact for society. RIAs provide a structured approach to evaluating the impact of research, ensuring that the results are valid, reliable, and robust. The information obtained from RIAs can help funders and research organisations allocate resources more effectively and make informed decisions about future research investments. Furthermore, RIAs provide evidence of the impact of research, which can be used to communicate the value of research to various stakeholders, including the public, funding agencies, governments, and industry partners.