Describing the impact of health research: a Research Impact Framework
2006

Research Impact Framework for Health Research

publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Kuruvilla Shyama, Mays Nicholas, Pleasant Andrew, Walt Gill

Primary Institution: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

Hypothesis

How can researchers systematically describe the impact of their health research?

Conclusion

The Research Impact Framework helps researchers identify and describe a wide range of specific and verifiable impacts related to their work.

Supporting Evidence

  • The framework provides a systematic approach to identifying research impacts.
  • Researchers found the framework more useful than previous ad hoc methods.
  • It facilitates comparison of research impacts across different projects.
  • Feedback from researchers helped refine the framework.

Takeaway

This study created a tool to help researchers explain how their work helps people and society, making it easier to show the good things that come from their research.

Methodology

The framework was developed through literature review and interviews with researchers at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Potential Biases

There may be historical and institutional biases that lead researchers to identify only positive impacts.

Limitations

The framework may not cover all potential impacts and could be influenced by researchers' biases.

Participant Demographics

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1472-6963-6-134

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