tag:theconversation.com,2011:/africa/topics/research-engagement-26443/articlesresearch engagement – The Conversation2022-01-31T22:02:57Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1746462022-01-31T22:02:57Z2022-01-31T22:02:57ZYoung Canadians are asking to be included in research — here’s how to engage them<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443578/original/file-20220131-142871-4s1lkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=217%2C0%2C4702%2C3453&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Empowering young people to make contributions to research results in deeper, richer, more usable research evidence.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The issues and experiences that matter most to young Canadians right now might surprise you. They are ready to lead a new conversation. </p>
<p>My research interests have long focused on how the health and social issues of the day, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, are being experienced by young Canadians. Young people have a right to be engaged, and a right to be heard in research.</p>
<p>Curious about how this incredibly dynamic, vulnerable population could contribute to research, I discovered that among the most important lessons young people would have us learn is how best to engage them. This revelation led to the recently-established <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ingauge_manitoba/">IN•GAUGE research program</a> headquartered at the University of Manitoba. </p>
<h2>Engaging young people</h2>
<p>IN•GAUGE aims to improve the lives of children and youth by taking an innovative approach to research called <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2012.04.037">integrated knowledge translation</a>. This approach assumes that complex health and social problems are best explored, explained and solved in partnership with those who have the lived experience, and the power to influence change.</p>
<p>IN•GAUGE invites young people ages eight to 24 to join or form a research team and submit research topic ideas. But more importantly, the IN•GAUGE research program creatively engages young people in a research process of their own design. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F9MjseqVhFc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Video expressing the words, metaphors and visuals used by young people to describe their experiences with anxiety. From the study ‘Youth voices: Their lives and experiences living with an anxiety disorder.’</span></figcaption>
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<p>When young people are engaged in the research process, results are deeper, richer and have more relevance. For example, using flexible, arts-based methods to gather research data from young people facilitates self-expression. It helps young people articulate, contextualize and make meaning of their lived experiences for a non-youth audience that may include educators, policy-makers or health-care and social service providers. </p>
<p>In a recent <a href="https://doi.org/10.17169/fqs-18.3.2886">youth-led research study designed to relate the daily experience of living with anxiety</a>, participants chose photovoice — a process that involves individuals taking photos to document their experiences — and performance art to share their stories. </p>
<p>The resulting research evidence showed that young people conceal certain aspects of their mental illness and avoid seeking help. This points to a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/24740527.2020.1720501">gap in our understanding of their daily mental health experience and our approach to care</a>. </p>
<h2>Fluid engagement</h2>
<p>Young people in the IN•GAUGE research program are given the freedom to identify the research topics that matter most to them, and then to design and engage in research studies exploring those topics. Although issues related to capitalism, climate change, COVID-19, mental health, sex and gender were top-of-mind, these young Canadians were also interested in the way health and social research is being done.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3fpsFfl7GBI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Overthinking, from the study ‘Youth voices: Their lives and experiences living with an anxiety disorder.’</span></figcaption>
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<p>To avoid ethical, feasibility and other barriers to conducting research with young people, researchers will often explore sensitive health and social issues without them. This leaves a significant gap in what we know about the experience of being young or coming of age in today’s world. </p>
<p>Young people participating in IN•GAUGE say this is a trap researchers need to avoid because meaningful engagement with young people in research gives rise to richer, more culturally inclusive and more usable research evidence. </p>
<p>To help amplify the voices of young people in research, IN•GAUGE program participants have co-developed an important new tool that they are asking health and social researchers to start using as their guide: The Youth Engagement in Research Framework. </p>
<p>The Youth Engagement in Research Framework illustrates how youth say researchers can create a culturally inclusive research environment, how to meaningfully engage them in research, which conditions should be met throughout the research process and what they hope to get out of their experience. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oHOfCYcwKJI?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Trying to stay on the path, from the study ‘Youth voices: Their lives and experiences living with an anxiety disorder.’</span></figcaption>
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<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1609406917696743">IN•GAUGE research evidence shows</a> that at least seven fluid, adaptive engagement concepts are critical to the meaningful <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1609406920958974">engagement of children and youth in research</a>: </p>
<ul>
<li>understanding their motivations to engage, </li>
<li>discussing goals for the research process and implementation intentions, </li>
<li>supporting diverse expressions of youth identity, </li>
<li>addressing facilitators and barriers to engagement, </li>
<li>reinforcing the choice to engage in research, </li>
<li>building trusting relationships, and</li>
<li>respecting different forms of knowledge. </li>
</ul>
<p>Understanding young people and their take on current events has the potential to make the future more predictable, or at least more relatable. As we learn about youth culture and their social norms, we can better understand their shifting social values, make reasonable forecasts about the wants and needs of the population, and start adapting our health and social systems. </p>
<p>The Youth Engagement in Research Framework is a useful starting point for research projects involving young people. In the spirit of equity, diversity and inclusivity, IN•GAUGE understands research frameworks such as this are necessarily adaptive and responsive in nature, and welcomes feedback on researchers’ experiences using the framework.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440971/original/file-20220116-27-1ftzg46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Infographic showing ways to engage young people in research." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440971/original/file-20220116-27-1ftzg46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440971/original/file-20220116-27-1ftzg46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=927&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440971/original/file-20220116-27-1ftzg46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=927&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440971/original/file-20220116-27-1ftzg46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=927&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440971/original/file-20220116-27-1ftzg46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1165&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440971/original/file-20220116-27-1ftzg46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1165&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/440971/original/file-20220116-27-1ftzg46.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1165&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Youth Engagement in Research Framework was designed help amplify the voices of young people in research.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">IN-GAUGE</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174646/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Roberta L. Woodgate does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Young people have a right to be engaged, and a right to be heard in research. When young people’s voices are included in the research process, the result is richer and more relevant research evidence.Roberta L. Woodgate, Canadian Research Chair (Tier 1) in Child & Family Engagement in Health Research & Healthcare, University of ManitobaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1513752021-01-10T19:11:50Z2021-01-10T19:11:50ZUnis want research shared widely. So why don’t they properly back academics to do it?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377666/original/file-20210107-13-v7ugzm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2799%2C1873&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/panel-speaker-on-stage-presenting-vision-1223620837">Life and Times/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Academics are <a href="https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/cjhe/2017-v47-n3-cjhe04386/1057102ar/">increasingly expected</a> to share their research widely beyond academia. However, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/leap.1365">our recent study</a> of academics in Australia and Japan suggests Australian universities are still very much focused on supporting the production of scholarly outputs. They offer <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/leap.1365">relatively limited support</a> for researchers’ efforts to engage with the many non-academics who can benefit from our research. </p>
<p>One reason engagement is expected is that government, industry and philanthropic sources fund research. And when academics share their research with the public, industry and policymakers, this engagement is good for the university’s reputation. It can also lead to other benefits such as research funding.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/who-cares-about-university-research-the-answer-depends-on-its-impacts-149817">Who cares about university research? The answer depends on its impacts</a>
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<p>But the work involved in sharing our ideas beyond academia can be diverse and substantial. For example, when we write for The Conversation, it takes time to find credible sources, adopt an appropriate tone, communicate often complex ideas simply and clearly, and respond to editor feedback. We also need to be able to speak to the media about our findings, and respond to public comments when the piece comes out. </p>
<h2>Unis don’t allow for the time it takes</h2>
<p>However, as one respondent said in explaining why they were <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0309877X.2020.1807477?journalCode=cjfh20">not sharing research with end users beyond academia</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>It’s not recognised by uni. So, when it is not recognised, it means that I don’t have any workload for that, and obviously I’m work-loaded for other stuff, and that means that I don’t actually have enough time to do this. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Sharing our findings beyond academia isn’t typically seen as part of our academic workload. This is problematic for academics who are already <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/4/3/e004462.short">struggling to find time</a> to do all the things their complex workload requires of them. </p>
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<p>
<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/why-the-kpis-on-university-engagement-need-more-thought-78026">Why the KPIs on university engagement need more thought</a>
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<img alt="woman concentrates as she types on a laptop" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377674/original/file-20210107-15-s16his.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377674/original/file-20210107-15-s16his.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377674/original/file-20210107-15-s16his.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377674/original/file-20210107-15-s16his.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377674/original/file-20210107-15-s16his.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377674/original/file-20210107-15-s16his.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377674/original/file-20210107-15-s16his.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">It takes to write an article or engage with non-academics in other ways, but universities typically don’t treat this work as an integral part of academic duties.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/focused-female-customer-working-on-computer-1514779214">Mangostar/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>In our research, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360.2020.1815662">time and workload constraints</a> were the most often-cited barriers to sharing research beyond academia. One respondent said they saw lots of opportunities to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360.2020.1815662">build partnerships</a> with practitioners in their field, but added:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[I] just cannot do that, because I’m doing other things that, in my work, are a priority. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>When we spend our time sharing our research with academic readers through journal articles, conference papers and academic books, our employers clearly value and expect these scholarly publications. These works, and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11192-020-03691-3">how the scholarly community receives them</a>, have more weight in evaluation of our performance. Last year an Australian academic <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/industrial-umpire-lashes-universities-obsessed-with-rankings-and-reputation-20200311-p5495e.html">nearly lost her job</a> for failing to meet a target for scholarly publications. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-universities-for-if-mainly-teaching-can-they-sack-academics-for-not-meeting-research-targets-143091">What are universities for? If mainly teaching, can they sack academics for not meeting research targets?</a>
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<p>Our research found <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/346974034_Perspectives_on_institutional_valuing_and_support_for_academic_and_translational_outputs_in_Japan_and_Australia#read">Japan-based academics feel a greater weight of expectations</a> than their Australian counterparts to engage with diverse audiences beyond academia. Universities clearly expect this engagement. Yet they often don’t back it up with support such as workload recognition, resourcing and training. </p>
<p>Universities need to offer better support if they wish to increase academics’ engagement with diverse audiences. They should also consider both the benefits and risks of this engagement.</p>
<h2>Academics see the benefits of sharing research</h2>
<p>The academics we spoke with valued the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360.2020.1815662">benefits</a> of engaging with diverse audiences. They were pleased to see others putting their research to use. Sharing research often helped to secure funding. </p>
<p>They also saw engagement as an opportunity to learn from end users. This helped ensure their research was responding to real-world needs.</p>
<p>Even very early in their careers, many researchers look to engage with audiences beyond academia. In previous research, we found doctoral candidates may opt for a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360.2018.1498461">thesis by publication</a> rather than a traditional thesis approach due to their <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0309877X.2019.1671964?journalCode=cjfh20">desire to share findings</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Doctor and researcher chat about findings" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377667/original/file-20210107-17-ku8faw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377667/original/file-20210107-17-ku8faw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377667/original/file-20210107-17-ku8faw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377667/original/file-20210107-17-ku8faw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377667/original/file-20210107-17-ku8faw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377667/original/file-20210107-17-ku8faw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/377667/original/file-20210107-17-ku8faw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Engaging with the end users of their research provides valuable feedback for academics.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/doctor-talking-pharmaceutical-sales-representative-1662004078">Halfpoint/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<em>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-measuring-research-we-must-remember-that-engagement-and-impact-are-not-the-same-thing-56745">When measuring research, we must remember that 'engagement' and 'impact' are not the same thing</a>
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<h2>What other problems do researchers face?</h2>
<p>The early-career researchers we interviewed noted other barriers and risks in sharing their work with diverse audiences. Universities often did not help with these issues. </p>
<p>They described <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360.2020.1815662">communication skill gaps</a> when seeking to tailor research content for diverse audiences. For example, the way research is communicated to industry experts needs to be different to how it is shared with governments or the general public. </p>
<p>Researchers may need to learn to communicate their ideas in <a href="https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/leap.1296?af=R">many different forms</a>. They may have to be skilled in producing industry reports, doing television or radio interviews or presenting their findings in professional forums. </p>
<p>Some encountered frustrations when sharing research via the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07294360.2020.1815662">bureaucratic processes</a> of government. For example, a respondent explained:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There’s still that much back and forth because there’s three or four different government departments that are involved in the process and it goes to different people. Some people don’t want it to be changed because they’re vested in the old way of doing things, and then they’ve got to bring ministers up to speed, and then all of a sudden you’re got a new state government that comes in, so that all changes. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Many felt unprepared to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0309877X.2020.1807477?journalCode=cjfh20">deal with the media</a>. </p>
<p>One respondent described being cautious about overstating the impact of their research. In their field, they saw messages claiming: “This is the be all and end all. This will cure cancer.” They were “wary of accidentally going down that path and making a claim bigger than is true”.</p>
<p>Respondents also described risks in sharing controversial and sensitive research beyond academia. </p>
<h2>What can universities do?</h2>
<p>For respondents in both Australia and Japan, demanding and diverse workloads crowded out opportunities to share findings. Universities cannot just expect engagement responsibilities to be absorbed into an already swollen workload.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/after-coronavirus-universities-must-collaborate-with-communities-to-support-social-transition-140541">After coronavirus, universities must collaborate with communities to support social transition</a>
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<p>If universities are serious about supporting the sharing of research beyond academia, they need to recognise these contributions in meaningful ways. For example, Australian academics usually must meet teaching, research and service requirements in their workloads. If sharing research with audiences beyond academia were counted toward service, academics could have this work properly taken into account in performance management and when seeking promotion. </p>
<p>Universities can do better at supporting academics to share their research with the public, industry and government. Improving access to training and mentoring to communicate research findings both in academia and beyond would be an important step forward.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151375/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Margaret Kristin Merga receives funding from the BUPA Health Foundation, the Ian Potter Foundation, the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, Edith Cowan University and the Collier Foundation. She is the current inaugural Patron of the Australian School Library Association.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Shannon Mason receives funding from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.</span></em></p>Researchers will struggle to meet universities’ expectations of engagement beyond academia until this work is better recognised as part of their duties.Margaret Kristin Merga, Senior Lecturer in Education, Edith Cowan UniversityShannon Mason, Assistant Professor, Education, Nagasaki UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1498172020-11-22T18:55:47Z2020-11-22T18:55:47ZWho cares about university research? The answer depends on its impacts<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/370230/original/file-20201119-13-jbn15o.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C1066%2C714&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Few researchers will have the impact of Robert Langer, but they can learn from what researchers like him do.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_S._Langer#/media/File:Robert_Langer_BioTech_Awards_Video_laboratory.png">Science History Institute/Wikipedia</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>This essay is based on the <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/partners-and-community/initiatives/impact-studios/podcasts/impact-uts">Impact at UTS</a> podcast series. The audio series examines how a diverse range of researchers embed knowledge exchange and impact in their research strategy.</em></p>
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<p>Universities are facing great financial challenges and a swathe of <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-universities-face-losing-1-in-10-staff-covid-driven-cuts-create-4-key-risks-147007">redundancy programs</a> is under way. Many senior academics are retiring early. Those that remain are picking up more teaching load. Research and teaching programs are both at risk of being seriously compromised.</p>
<p>Beyond the individual loss for people who have built careers exploring important research challenges, what may be less apparent is our collective loss as a society if academics are deprived of the time to explore tough questions that we need answers for.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-universities-face-losing-1-in-10-staff-covid-driven-cuts-create-4-key-risks-147007">As universities face losing 1 in 10 staff, COVID-driven cuts create 4 key risks</a>
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<p>It might be hard to look beyond the immediate crisis in higher education, but universities will remain crucial social institutions. Now is the right time to continue the conversation about what they are and who they serve. And what are their impacts?</p>
<p>As part of our <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/partners-and-community/initiatives/impact-studios/podcasts/impact-uts">Impact at UTS podcast series</a>, we spoke to researchers about how they navigate collaboration, engagement – with communities, industry and government – and impact. The breadth and depth of these impact stories reveal many inter-related insights, which we present later in this article. (You can listen to a full podcast episode at the end.)</p>
<iframe src="https://webplayer.whooshkaa.com/episode/737026?theme=light&visual=true&enable-volume=true&iframe-height=190" height="190" width="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay"></iframe>
<h2>Why does university research impact matter?</h2>
<p>Universities are uniquely placed to explore complex problems that our collective future depends on. They can do so in a rigorous, ethical, collaborative and enduring way. Peer review regulates subjectivity and biases. </p>
<p>Investing the time to confront complex problems is often beyond the appetite and patience of a corporate agenda driven by other imperatives, including short-term survival. Nationally, Australia continues to lag in <a href="https://data.oecd.org/rd/gross-domestic-spending-on-r-d.htm">OECD rankings for research and development</a>. This is obviously not desirable, and it’s a symptom of bigger problems in the university sector.</p>
<iframe src="https://data.oecd.org/chart/6axG" width="100%" height="645" style="border: 0" mozallowfullscreen="true" webkitallowfullscreen="true" allowfullscreen="true"><a href="https://data.oecd.org/chart/6axG" target="_blank">OECD Chart: Gross domestic spending on R&D, Total, % of GDP, Annual, 2017</a></iframe>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/budgets-1bn-research-boost-is-a-welcome-first-step-billions-more-plus-policy-reforms-will-be-needed-147662">Budget's $1bn research boost is a welcome first step. Billions more, plus policy reforms, will be needed</a>
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<p>The sector has rightly begun to question inward-looking measures of success and KPIs, which are largely based on quantifying research grants in and publications out. Only other researchers care about such things. </p>
<p>Here, we ask why is the research worth doing in the first place? What does it contribute beyond the esteem of academic colleagues? </p>
<p>The COVID-19 crisis has intensified the need to revisit the <a href="https://impactstudios.edu.au/podcasts/the-new-social-contract/">relationship universities have with society</a>. Every academic needs to grapple with questions of why or when research should be prioritised over teaching and upskilling job seekers and job keepers.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/universities-have-gone-from-being-a-place-of-privilege-to-a-competitive-market-what-will-they-be-after-coronavirus-137877">Universities have gone from being a place of privilege to a competitive market. What will they be after coronavirus?</a>
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<h2>The challenges of assessing impact</h2>
<p>While a shift away from crude input-output metrics towards research impact sounds appealing, assessing impact is much harder to do at scale. </p>
<p>And, perhaps more importantly, many academics are highly specialised. Some are amazing curriculum designers, teachers, grant writers, researchers, report writers, administrators, team managers, stakeholder engagers (if that’s a real word) etc. So, among academics, it’s only natural that some will focus on impact more than others. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2020.18546abstract">Academics create value in myriad ways</a>, and rarely do you find a “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_squirrel">purple squirrel</a>” – someone who excels at the full spectrum of work to be done. But, if impact is increasingly relevant to all academics, then a shift towards impact opens questions about performing as a team or individually. </p>
<p>There is also understandable <a href="https://doi.org/10.3152/095820211X13118583635693">scepticism and change resistance</a> to the “impact agenda” among academics. They are already time-poor and highly scrutinised. Any additional reporting and accountability requirements, such as the Australian Research Council’s <a href="https://www.arc.gov.au/engagement-and-impact-assessment">engagement and impact assessment</a>, feel like the last straw for academics, especially those who are busy chasing yesterday’s KPIs. </p>
<p>The research engagement and impact agenda needs to be worked through with great care. For a start, measurement of anything indelibly changes it, and new KPIs can introduce perverse responses and behaviours.</p>
<p>Focusing on engagement and impact also reinvigorates important value questions. There is always a risk that fundamental research is viewed as having no foreseeable impact. Yet it has given us so many unexpected and significant societal benefits.</p>
<p>A classic example is radio-astronomy research by <a href="https://theconversation.com/patently-australian-csiro-settles-suits-over-wi-fi-6184">CSIRO</a> and <a href="https://www.mq.edu.au/research/research-expertise/Research-innovation/where-wi-fi-began">Macquarie University</a> leading to wi-fi, which is an enabling technology for further innovations. Similarly, there was no guarantee of success at the start of decades of experimenting involved in innovations like HPV vaccines, cochlear implants and solar panels. Each innovation has directly and indirectly improved millions of lives.</p>
<p>Binary thinking about research versus impact, or applied versus fundamental research, is misguided, as societal benefits rely upon both sides of those coins. The tension of research versus teaching is similarly unproductive.</p>
<h2>Learning from researchers with impact</h2>
<p>We can look to outliers or “purple squirrels” to learn about research excellence with impact. <a href="https://www.natureindex.com/news-blog/coronavirus-vaccine-front-runner-moderna-puts-mit-chemist-entrepreneur-robert-langer-in-the-spotlight">Robert Langer</a> is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166497218307302?via%3Dihub">an outstanding example</a>. One of his ventures, Moderna, is a <a href="https://theconversation.com/modernas-covid-vaccine-reports-95-efficacy-it-means-we-might-have-multiple-successful-vaccines-150266">leader in developing a COVID-19 vaccine</a>. </p>
<p>Langer’s lab at MIT has generated thousands of articles and patents, raising billions of dollars to spin out over 40 companies. This work includes treating multiple forms of cancer, endometriosis, eczema, vocal cord damage and more, and has <a href="https://news.mit.edu/2016/robert-langer-on-failure-resilience-and-making-an-impact-1031">affected the lives of billions</a>. His papers with industry collaborators are also <a href="https://www.natureindex.com/news-blog/corporate-collaboration-boosts-buzz-on-research">discussed more widely</a> than papers published by academics only.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Research by Robert Langer and his colleagues is estimated to have affected the lives of 2 billion people.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Global outliers like Langer are certainly inspiring, but can feel inaccessible for the average researcher.</p>
<p>For our <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/partners-and-community/initiatives/impact-studios/podcasts/impact-uts">Impact at UTS podcast series</a>, we spoke to highly acclaimed but more accessible researchers about how they navigate collaboration, engagement and impact. We cast a wide net. Their work spans a variety of disciplines and issues, including rebuilding reefs, Indigenous rights and self-determination, beach safety, solving crime through trace detection, access to clean water, autonomous vehicles, and more.</p>
<h2>What did these researchers tell us?</h2>
<p>These impact stories consistently reveal many inter-related insights, including:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>researchers’ desires to effect positive change align with the shift towards valuing benefits</p></li>
<li><p>researchers can be faithful to standards of academic rigour, ethics and independence while having material impact</p></li>
<li><p>complex problems <a href="https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0380-0">demand multi- or transdisciplinary approaches</a>, which often have engagement built in</p></li>
<li><p>engagement starts before a research project is formalised, and continues during and after it — gone are the days of throwing mono-disciplinary publications behind a paywall in the hope someone will discover it, make sense of the jargon and <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/isolated-scholars-making-bricks-not-shaping-policy/">bridge</a> the <a href="https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2020/09/22/evidence-based-policy-and-other-myths-what-researchers-need-to-know-to-influence-government/">research-policy gap</a></p></li>
<li><p>engagement is based on shared values, which become shared language and shared understandings</p></li>
<li><p>formal agreements are important, but impactful collaboration is far from being transactional or contractual</p></li>
<li><p>it’s a team effort — there might be one chief investigator, but it’s often a team of researchers and several non-university stakeholders.</p></li>
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<h2>Fulfilling universities’ public purpose</h2>
<p>These insights reveal a more holistic and integrated picture of research engagement with communities, industry and government. By engaging with research end-users early, researchers get a real understanding of the problem. This helps inform their research, leading to greater impact and adoption.</p>
<p>The lessons learned should resonate with academics from any discipline or stage of career. They are also useful to non-academics as they select which academic or university to reach out to.</p>
<p>Despite the COVID-19 chaos, what endures is that universities are institutions with a public purpose. In Australia, publicly funded agencies employ a significant proportion of the research workforce. University research thus plays a critical role in addressing complex problems and national needs.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/7-6-billion-and-11-of-researchers-our-estimate-of-how-much-australian-university-research-stands-to-lose-by-2024-146672">$7.6 billion and 11% of researchers: our estimate of how much Australian university research stands to lose by 2024</a>
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<p>A focus on the benefits that accrue from university research provides an opportunity for universities to enhance public trust and confidence in the value of their research. An engaged and supportive public may just be the most effective pathway towards creating the political will to adopt coherent, evidence-based policy. </p>
<p>For researchers, greater impact contributes to a virtuous research life cycle, including more sustainable funding. Last, but certainly not least, being able to draw on excellent research with impact in the classroom creates cutting-edge education and lifelong learning experiences in a way that more authentically includes the voices of the people impacted by the research.</p>
<iframe src="https://webplayer.whooshkaa.com/episode/743764?theme=light&enable-volume=true&iframe-height=190" height="190" width="100%" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay"></iframe>
<p><em>Subscribe to the <a href="https://impactstudios.edu.au/podcasts/impact/">Impact at UTS podcast</a> on your favourite podcast app: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/impact-at-uts/id1533195116">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/1pfok2RN7epljwNiCHOAzJ?si=THFLonqGSC2B8ChCPLMOgg">Spotify</a>, <a href="https://www.stitcher.com/show/impact-at-uts">Stitcher</a>.</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://impactstudios.edu.au/podcasts/impact/">Impact at UTS</a> was made by <a href="https://impactstudios.edu.au/">Impact Studios</a> at the University of Technology Sydney – an audio production house that combines academic research with audio storytelling for real-world impact.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/149817/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Having to do engagement and impact assessments may feel like the last straw for weary and time-poor academics. But thinking about these things can underpin research excellence.Martin Bliemel, Associate Dean of Research; Course Director, Diploma in Innovation, University of Technology SydneyJulian Zipparo, Executive Manager, Research Engagement, UTS; PhD candidate in Higher Education, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/872522017-11-28T03:53:16Z2017-11-28T03:53:16ZStarting next year, universities have to prove their research has real-world impact<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/194918/original/file-20171116-19768-8scze5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">For research to have an impact, it needs to be used or applied in some way.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Starting in 2018, Australian universities will be required to prove their research provides concrete benefits for taxpayers and the government, who fund it.</p>
<p>Education Minister Simon Birmingham recently <a href="https://ministers.education.gov.au/birmingham/focusing-research-make-difference">announced</a> the Australian Research Council (<a href="http://www.arc.gov.au/">ARC</a>) will introduce an <a href="http://www.arc.gov.au/engagement-and-impact-assessment">Engagement and Impact Assessment</a>. It will run alongside the current Excellence in Research Australia <a href="http://www.arc.gov.au/excellence-research-australia">ERA</a> assessment exercise. This follows a <a href="http://www.arc.gov.au/ei-pilot-overview">pilot</a> of the Engagement and Impact Assessment, run in 2017.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/pilot-study-on-why-academics-should-engage-with-others-in-the-community-76707">Pilot study on why academics should engage with others in the community</a>
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<p>Until now, research performance assessment has mostly been focused on the number of publications, citations and competitive grants won. This new metric changes the focus from inputs and outputs to outcomes. This is part of a continuing shift from quantity to quality, which began in <a href="http://www.ams.org/journals/notices/201103/rtx110300434p.pdf">earlier iterations</a> of the ERA. The Engagement and Impact assessment reflects a significant change in thinking about the types of research impact we value and why. </p>
<p>For research to have an impact, it needs to be used or applied in some way. For example, health research aims to have an impact on health outcomes. For that to happen doctors, nurses and people working in health policy would need to use that research evidence in their practice or policy decision-making. </p>
<p>Despite the <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/review-research-policy-and-funding-arrangements-0">initial focus on commercial outcomes</a>, the Engagement and Impact Assessment has evolved to include a range of impact types. It provides an important incentive for researchers in all fields to think about how to engage those outside of academia who can translate their research into real-world impacts. It also enables researchers who were already engaging with research end-users and delivering positive impact to have these outcomes formally recognised for the first time at a national level. </p>
<h2>Community input</h2>
<p>Including an engagement component recognises researchers are not in direct control of whether their research will actually be used. Industry, government and the community also have an important role in making sure the potential benefits of research are achieved. </p>
<p>The engagement metrics allow universities to demonstrate and be rewarded for engaging industry, government and others in research, even if it doesn’t directly or immediately lead to impact. Case studies were chosen to demonstrate impact because they let researchers describe the important impacts they are achieving that metrics can’t capture.</p>
<p>The case studies will need to include the impact achieved, the beneficiaries and timeframe of the research impact and countries where the impact occurred. They’ll also include what strategies were employed to enable translation of research into real world benefits.</p>
<p>The results will be assessed by a panel of experts for each field of research who will provide a rating of engagement and impact as low, medium or high.</p>
<h2>Cultural impacts</h2>
<p>The ARC has defined engagement as: </p>
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<p>the interaction between researchers and research end-users outside of academia, for the mutually beneficial transfer of knowledge, technologies, methods or resources. </p>
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<p>Impact has been defined as: </p>
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<p>the contribution that research makes to economy, society and environment and culture beyond the contribution to academic research.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/when-measuring-research-we-must-remember-that-engagement-and-impact-are-not-the-same-thing-56745">When measuring research, we must remember that 'engagement' and 'impact' are not the same thing</a>
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<p>The definition of impact has been amended to include “culture”, which was not part of the definition applied in the pilot. This amendment speaks to concerns raised by the academic community around quantifying and qualifying impacts that vary significantly across different academic fields. It’s hard to compare, for example, the impact of an historic exhibition to the impact of astrophysics research on gravitational waves.</p>
<p>It’s also difficult to compare more basic or experimental research with applied research, such as health and well-being programs that can be directly applied in the community. Basic or experimental research can take a long time to lead to a measurable impact.</p>
<p>Classic examples of experimental research that had significant economic, health and social impacts that it didn’t specifically set out to achieve are the discovery of <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/flemingpenicillin.html#alexander-fleming-penicillin">penicillin</a>, and <a href="http://www.sbs.com.au/news/explainer/wifi-australian-invention-helping-world-connect">WiFi</a>.</p>
<h2>An addition, not a replacement</h2>
<p>The <a href="http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rereports/year/2015/metrictide/">traditional research metrics</a> of grants, publication and citation, which work for basic, experimental and longer-time-to-impact research, are still in play. The Engagement and Impact Assessment has <a href="https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/australian-universities-unimpressed-impact-assessment-plans">not been tied to funding decisions</a> at this stage.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-how-and-why-is-research-assessed-36895">Explainer: how and why is research assessed?</a>
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<p>A <a href="https://search-proquest-com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/docview/1850750875?pq-origsite=summon">study</a> of the impact case studies submitted to the UK’s <a href="http://www.ref.ac.uk/">Research Excellence Framework</a> found high-impact scores were correlated to high quality scores. They concluded “impact was not being achieved at the expense of research excellence”. <a href="https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1472-6963-14-2">Previous research</a> has shown research quality is an important enabler of the use of research.</p>
<p>Engagement and impact outcomes for a specific field of research at one university will be assessed against the same field at another university. This is also the case with traditional metrics and grants assessment.</p>
<p>Engagement will be assessed on four key metrics and an engagement narrative. These metrics are focused on funding provided by end-users of research such as businesses or individuals outside the world of academia who directly use or benefit from the the research.</p>
<p>The four metrics are: cash support (against <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/higher-education-research-data-collection">Higher Education Research Data Collection</a> categories) or sponsored grants from end-users, research commercialisation income and how much income is made per researcher.</p>
<p>The engagement narrative will enable universities to provide detail about how they are engaging with end-users. There is also a <a href="http://www.arc.gov.au/sites/default/files/filedepot/Public/EI/Engagement_and_Impact_Assessment_Pilot_2017_Report.pdf">list of other engagement indicators</a> universities can draw on to describe their engagement activity.</p>
<p>At times, the value of research <a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/taxpayer-dollars-wasted-on-absurd-studies-that-do-nothing-to-advance-australian-research/news-story/c0c20e651da84b3f249f6e77405cfc7c">has been publicly questioned</a>. The Engagement and Impact Assessment will help the general public better understand the value of the research they fund.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87252/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pauline Zardo does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Engagement and impact will be part of research performance assessment starting in 2018, signalling a shift in what kind of research we value and why.Pauline Zardo, Data & Policy Research Fellow, Queensland University of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/767072017-05-08T19:42:06Z2017-05-08T19:42:06ZPilot study on why academics should engage with others in the community<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/167921/original/file-20170504-21620-1gyeitl.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Dr Ian Moffat explaining ground penetrating radar to community members during a survey of the Innamincka Cemetery.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Julia Garnaut</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australian academics will soon have a new incentive to get off campus and into the community to engage with the people who ultimately fund their research – the taxpayers.</p>
<p>The Australian Research Council (ARC) is currently <a href="http://www.arc.gov.au/ei-pilot-overview">piloting</a> a new scheme to quantify impact and engagement by academics. It’s part of proposed funding changes under the <a href="https://www.innovation.gov.au/">National Innovation and Science Agenda</a>.</p>
<p>Only ten discipline areas are being looked at as part of the pilot. But when the full scheme is launched in 2018, all disciplines at all Australian universities will be measured, not only for research performance but also for how well connected their research is to community and stakeholders.</p>
<p>The results of this assessment will be used, in part, to determine how big a slice of the <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/research-block-grants">A$1.89 billion</a> in annual research infrastructure funding will end up at each university. These are high stakes for institutions and researchers alike. </p>
<h2>Defining engagement</h2>
<p>What is engagement, and why is it important?</p>
<p>In the academic context, engagement is about giving non-academic stakeholders the chance to have a say in what research is done, and how and why. This includes dealing with governments, communities and industry.</p>
<p>The ARC has recognised that this is about much more than just telling the public what you are doing. It has put forward a range of criteria that emphasises the need for proper two-way collaboration and conversation.</p>
<p>Handing over the reins on research projects is challenging to most academics. But in doing so, we can ensure that we are responsive to the needs of communities, and make our research inclusive and relevant.</p>
<p>Further, public engagement can actually enhance research projects. It provides access to knowledge, experience and resources that can help us to deliver better outcomes.</p>
<h2>Getting people involved</h2>
<p>One of the discipline areas that’s part of the ARC pilot is my own, archaeology.</p>
<p>Archaeologists are well placed in the engagement context, as we regularly work with non-academic stakeholders who play an important role in guiding, funding and contributing to our research. This includes groups such as indigenous communities, historical societies, governments and local councils.</p>
<p>My own experience working in collaboration with communities to <a href="http://www.flinders.edu.au/ehl/archaeology/research-profile/current-themes-and-projects/environment-and-society/detection-of-unmarked-graves.cfm">map the location of unmarked graves using geophysical techniques</a> has shown the benefits of effective community engagement for my own research outcomes, and also for the communities I have worked with. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/168376/original/file-20170508-20732-1ee21gr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/168376/original/file-20170508-20732-1ee21gr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/168376/original/file-20170508-20732-1ee21gr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/168376/original/file-20170508-20732-1ee21gr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/168376/original/file-20170508-20732-1ee21gr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=431&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/168376/original/file-20170508-20732-1ee21gr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/168376/original/file-20170508-20732-1ee21gr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/168376/original/file-20170508-20732-1ee21gr.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=542&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Geophysical techniques provide an non-invasive means of mapping unmarked graves and so addressing community driven research questions about the history of local cemeteries.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Ian Moffat</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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<p>These projects typically involve the community in the design, development and interpretation of research, and evolve as a true collaborative effort. </p>
<p>Together we try and make sense of older cemeteries that contain large numbers of unmarked graves. This helps to fill in the pages of history, protect Aboriginal burial sites from destruction during development, and locate appropriate places for the repatriation of skeletal material on country. </p>
<p>Detecting graves with invasive techniques such as excavation is slow, expensive and distressing when graves are disturbed. So the non-invasive, rapid and inexpensive nature of geophysical techniques (such as ground penetrating radar) makes these an attractive alternative.</p>
<h2>Community benefit</h2>
<p>The community groups I work with on these projects benefit from this type of engagement. They are typically involved from the very start, approaching me with a request to undertake the survey. They also define the extent of the study, and help interpret the results based on their knowledge of the site. </p>
<p>The research also adds significant value to their understanding of local history in a way that would be impossible without the expertise and equipment that we as a university can provide.</p>
<p>I recently worked with Lorraine Pomery, president of the local branch of the National Trust in Port Elliot, South Australia, to locate up to 69 unmarked graves in the Little Glory Cemetery. She told me:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This work has completely changed our understanding of this important historic site and has generated significant community interest.</p>
</blockquote>
<h2>Lessons from engagement</h2>
<p>Clearly not all academic disciplines engage as extensively with non-academic stakeholders as archaeologists. There is certainly no “one size fits all” approach that will work for everyone.</p>
<p>Nonetheless, my experience provides some lessons that may be applicable more widely in academia.</p>
<p>Communities are usually far more interested and engaged in the big picture of my research (such as “where are the graves?”) rather than the physics of how radar waves behave in the soil.</p>
<p>Communities can provide important site specific information (“there used to be headstones over there”) without which I would be unable to do this research effectively. This is typical of the “<a href="http://www.arc.gov.au/ei-pilot-overview">mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge</a>” the ARC pilot is looking for in engagement.</p>
<p>Communities can also provide financial support to fund travel expenses, in-kind support such as volunteer field assistance (as well as, on occasion, delicious home baked cakes) and collaborate on the interpretation of the data to ensure an effective outcome. </p>
<p>There are lots of opportunities for other researchers across all disciplines to invite the public in.</p>
<p>Anyone can start this conversation with things like social media engagement or public forums. Greater two-way engagement can be achieved by the co-design and interpretation of research projects. </p>
<p>All contribute to making sure the people who ultimately fund our research have a meaningful say in what we do. Now surely that’s something that should be rewarded by the ARC.</p>
<hr>
<p><em><a href="http://people.unisa.edu.au/Anika.Johnstone">Anika Johnstone</a>, a senior exhibitions manager at <a href="http://www.unisa.edu.au/mod">MOD.</a> at the University of South Australia, contributed to this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/76707/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ian Moffat receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the International Society for Archaeological Prospection, Flinders University and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. </span></em></p>Funding for research in Australia could soon depend on how much researchers engage with others who could benefit from and help out with the work.Ian Moffat, ARC DECRA Research Fellow in Archaeological Science, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/737102017-04-10T13:19:13Z2017-04-10T13:19:13Z“Pathogen hunters”: citizen scientists track plant diseases to save species<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163445/original/image-20170331-31760-1tpk734.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Author Joey Hulbert explaining sampling protocol.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Plant diseases threaten <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v484/n7393/full/nature10947.html">food security</a> and <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/cbfe/71975cc7736a392f1feba0e71e19f9b8f756.pdf">sustainability</a>. They affect ecosystems and <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1890/070151/full">change natural environments</a>. They cost money, too. An enormous amount is spent globally each year to control these diseases; the damage they cause is also hugely expensive. For example, crop losses from plant killing microbes are estimated to have cost the US $33 billion per year according to a <a href="https://www.forestpests.org/pdf/Update%20on%20the%20environmental%20and%20economic%20costs%20associated%20with%20alien-invasive%20species%20in%20the%20US.pdf">2005 report</a>. </p>
<p>New plant disease epidemics are emerging all the time. <a href="http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ima/imafung/2013/00000004/00000001/art00024">Myrtle rust</a> is an example of a disease recently identified in South Africa. It now threatens natural areas containing Myrtaceous plants and is of concern for many forestry industries growing Australian <em>Eucalyptus</em> species. </p>
<p>The emergence of new plant disease epidemics is largely driven by <a href="http://www.alachuacounty.us/Depts/epd/EPAC/AAAS%20Forest%20health%20and%20global%20change%20-%20Science-2015-Trumbore-814-8.pdf">globalisation</a>. Humans are the major pathway of spreading microbes that cause plant disease. But people are generally unaware of the risk and potential of their movement since the microbes in question are microscopic. We can’t see them, so we don’t think much about them.</p>
<p>The effect of plant disease could be reduced if people are made more aware of the many pathways for plant-killing microbes – and why preventing their spread matters to us all. </p>
<p>That’s where citizen science projects, such as <a href="http://citsci.co.za">Cape Citizen Science</a>, can help. Citizen science projects are opportunities to release our inner scientist to expand scientific literacy and knowledge. Cape Citizen Science believes that everyone has a little bit of scientist in them.</p>
<h2>Plant-destroying microbes</h2>
<p>Researchers involved in the project invited the public to join up as “pathogen hunters” to find a group of plant-destroying microbes known as <a href="http://citsci.co.za/content/plant-destroyers"><em>Phytophthora</em></a> which was responsible for one of the worst plant disease epidemics known to humanity, the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/victorians/famine_01.shtml">Irish potato famine</a>. The responsible organism, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v461/n7262/abs/nature08358.html"><em>Phytophthora infestans</em></a>, starved nearly a quarter of Ireland’s population and drove another quarter out of the country in the mid 1800s.</p>
<p><em>Phytophthora</em> species are also well known around the world for the diseases they cause in natural forests. Through epidemics such as <a href="http://www.suddenoakdeath.org/">Sudden Oak Death</a> in the US and <a href="https://www.dwg.org.au/what-is-phytophthora-dieback">Jarrah (Phytophthora) dieback</a> in Australia, they are <a href="http://forestphytophthoras.org/sites/default/files/educational_materials/dieback_report.pdf">known</a> for eliminating susceptible species from the environment. </p>
<p>Cape Citizen Science facilitates research about <em>Phytophthora</em> species in South Africa’s <a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/at1202">Cape floristic region</a> in the extreme south western tip of Africa. Many species of plants are threatened in this biodiversity hotspot, which is often recognised as the <a href="http://www.capenature.co.za/care-for-nature/biodiversity/cape-floristic-region/">“hottest hotspot”</a> because of the exceptional degree of endemism, housing thousands of species that don’t naturally occur anywhere else on the planet. But little is known about the impact of <em>Phytophthora</em> on Cape Flora. The project aims to create a baseline of data about <em>Phytophthora</em> species diversity and distribution.</p>
<p>It’s important to survey the diversity of <em>Phytophthora</em> species in this region because there may be many that have never been discovered. There may also be many species that are known to science but have never been discovered in South Africa. And finally, it’s important to survey these organisms in a bid to detect a newly arrived species before it causes too much damage. </p>
<h2>Citizen scientist contributions</h2>
<p>Nearly 200 people have been involved as citizen scientists since the project launched in 2016. They contribute by reporting dying plants and submitting samples. Many reports and samples have come from areas that the researchers would not have found. </p>
<p>Citizens report dying plants using the online tool <a href="http://ispotnature.org">Ispot Nature</a>. Many observations have been added to the <a href="http://www.ispotnature.org/projects/dying-plants-in-the-fynbos-south-africa">Cape Citizen Science project</a> and, again, include several that would not have been found by the scientists alone.</p>
<p>Ordinary people can also get involved by <a href="http://citsci.co.za/submit">submitting samples</a> of dying plants, soil, and even collections of microbes growing on petri-plates provided by the project. Samples have been submitted from home gardens, plant productions and recreational activities. </p>
<p>The project also offers workshops so citizens can learn to recognise and sample plant disease. Each workshop starts with a presentation about the research, incorporates a hike to find sick plants and ends with an activity to isolate and culture the microscopic organisms. </p>
<p>This format is also the basis for educational activities organised with children. The project has involved youth such as the <a href="http://www.eco-rangers.co.za/">Helderberg Eco-rangers</a> and is currently organising activities with the <a href="http://saep.org">South African Education and Environment Project</a> and <a href="http://visionafrika.com/">Vision Afrika</a>. These activities are a way to inspire the next generation of naturalists and scientists.</p>
<p>Citizen science projects have exceptional merit for the early detection of new plant disease epidemics. By incorporating many observers, more observations are made across space and time – and at a relatively low cost. And citizen science works: the Myrtle rust pathogen in South Africa was first discovered through a citizen’s report.</p>
<h2>Opportunities for growth</h2>
<p>Cape Citizen Science is an example of a grassroots project that has built a community of citizen scientists. It’s supported by the <a href="http://www.fabinet.up.ac.za/research-groups/dst-nrf-centre-of-excellence-in-tree-health-biotechnology">DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology</a>, the <a href="http://www.fabinet.up.ac.za/">Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute</a>, <a href="http://www.up.ac.za/">University of Pretoria</a>, and <a href="http://www.sun.ac.za/Home.aspx">Stellenbosch University</a>.</p>
<p>Although our work is regional, the model could be implemented on a larger scale and in other countries. Hopefully this project will serve as an example and a learning platform to help other research areas and other countries establish their own projects to involve more citizens.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/73710/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joey Hulbert does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The impact of plant disease may be reduced if people are made aware of the many pathways for plant-killing microbes – and why preventing their spread matters to us all.Joey Hulbert, PhD Student, University of PretoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/567452016-04-10T20:02:33Z2016-04-10T20:02:33ZWhen measuring research, we must remember that ‘engagement’ and ‘impact’ are not the same thing<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/117931/original/image-20160408-23914-15ysns8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">What is the purpose of measuring engagement, impact or quality?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In the <a href="https://theconversation.com/turnbull-seeks-ideas-boom-with-innovation-agenda-experts-react-51892">Innovation Statement</a> late last year, the federal government indicated a strong belief that<a href="https://theconversation.com/ten-rules-for-successful-research-collaboration-53826"> more collaboration</a> should occur between industry and university researchers. </p>
<p>At the same time, <a href="https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/20151203_main_report1.pdf">government</a>, <a href="https://www.go8.edu.au/programs-and-fellowships/excellence-innovation-australia-eia-trial">education</a> and industry groupings have made numerous recommendations for the “impact” of university research to be assessed alongside or in addition to the existing assessment of the quality of research. </p>
<h2>How should we measure research?</h2>
<p>But what should we measure and, more importantly, why should we measure it?</p>
<p>In accounting, we stress that the measurement basis of something inevitably reflects the purpose for which that measure is to be used. </p>
<p>So what is the purpose of measuring engagement, <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-is-no-easy-way-to-measure-the-impact-of-university-research-on-society-50856">impact</a> or, for that matter, quality? </p>
<p>The primary reason for measuring quality seems fairly self-evident – as a major stakeholder in terms of funding (especially dedicated research-only funding), the government wants an assessment of just “how good” by academic standards such research really is. </p>
<p>Looking ahead, measures of quality such as the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) rankings have been speculated to potentially influence future funding via prestigious competitive schemes (such as the Australian Research Council), block funding for infrastructure and the availability of government support for doctoral students via Australian Postgraduate Awards. </p>
<p>So the demand for a measure of research quality and the potential uses of such a measure are pretty clear.</p>
<p>But what valid reasons are there for investing significant resources in the measurement of research impact or engagement? </p>
<p>If high-quality research addresses important practical problems (large or small), surely we would expect impact would follow? </p>
<p>In this sense, the extent of impact is really a joint product of the quality (or robustness) of research and the choice of topic (ie, practical versus more esoteric).</p>
<h2>Research impact needs time</h2>
<p>But over what period should impact be measured? </p>
<p><a href="https://www.go8.edu.au/programs-and-fellowships/excellence-innovation-australia-eia-trial">Recent exercises</a> such as that conducted by the Australian Technology Network and Group of Eight have a relatively short-term focus, as would any “impact assessment” tied to the corresponding period covered by the existing ERA time frame (say the last six years). </p>
<p>I and many others maintain that impact can only be assessed over much longer periods, and that in many cases short-term impact is potentially misleading. </p>
<p>How often have supposedly impactful results subsequently been rejected or overturned? </p>
<p>Such examples inevitably turn out to reflect low quality (and in some cases outright fraudulent) research.</p>
<h2>Ranking impact</h2>
<p>Finally, how can impact be ranked? Is there a viable measure that can distinguish between high and low impact? Existing case-study approaches are unlikely to yield any form of quantifiable measurement of research impact.</p>
<p>Equally puzzling is the call to measure research engagement. What is the purpose of such an exercise? Surely in a financially constrained research environment, universities readily recognise the importance of such engagement and pursue it constantly. </p>
<p>We don’t need a national assessment of engagement to encourage universities to engage. </p>
<p>Motive aside, one approach canvassed is the quantum of non-government investment in research (ie, non-government research income). </p>
<p>This is arguably one rather limited way to measure engagement, and is focused on input rather than output. If the purpose of any measurement is to capture outcomes, does it make sense to focus exclusively on inputs? The logic of this escapes me.</p>
<h2>Engagement and impact are not the same thing</h2>
<p>Even more worryingly, some use the terms engagement and impact interchangeably. </p>
<p>They would have us believe that a simple (but useful) measure of impact is the extent to which university researchers receive industry funding. Surely this is, at best, a measure of engagement, not impact.</p>
<p>Although the two are likely correlated, the extent will vary greatly across discipline areas. </p>
<p>Further, in business disciplines, much of the “knowledge transfer” that occurs via education (including areas such as executive programs) reflects the impact of the constant process of researching better business practices across areas such as accounting, finance, economics, marketing and so on.</p>
<p>Discretionary expenditure on such programs by business is surely an indication of the extent to which business schools and industry are engaged, yet this would be ignored if we focused on research income alone.</p>
<p>We must not lose sight that quality (ie, rigour and innovativeness) is a necessary but not sufficient condition for broader research impact.</p>
<p>Engagement is not impact, and simple measures such as non-government research income tell us very little about genuine external engagement between universities and industry.</p>
<p>As accountants know, performance measurement reflects its purpose. What we need before any further national assessment of attributes such as impact or engagement is clear understanding of the purpose of such an exercise. </p>
<p>Only when the purpose is clearly specified can we have a sensible debate about measurement principles.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/56745/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stephen Taylor is affiliated with the Australian Business Dean's Council as the 2016 ABDC Research Scholar </span></em></p>Engagement is not impact, and simple measures such as non-government research income tell us very little about genuine external engagement between universities and industry.Stephen Taylor, Professor of Accounting, University of Technology SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.