Creating Meaningful Impact The Essential Guide to Developing an Impact-Literate Mindset

Research impact is increasingly expected within academia, but does the pressure to ?do impact? risk an unhealthy focus on what can be counted rather than what counts? Creating Meaningful Impact: The Essential Guide to Developing an Impact-Literate Mindset looks at impact from inside the research sector, celebrating the opportunity to make a difference whilst recognising the challenges this brings. Taking you from basic concepts through to principles of practice, impact expert Julie Bayley demystifies impact and guides you on the path to understanding the why, what, who and how of research-led change. What do unicorns tell us about what matters? Or strip clubs tell us about failure? And what can Murder She Wrote teach us about assembling evidence? Whether you?re a researcher, research lead or research manager, Creating Meaningful Impact will help you realign your impact sat-nav and develop an authentic, critical and healthy approach within the wider pressures of academia.

Chapter 1. What is research impact? Chapter 2. Impact literacy Chapter 3. Impact, values and power Principle 1. Chase meaning not unicorns Principle 2. Work out what your research powers up Principle 3. Think directionally not linearly Principle 4. Evidence? Think ‘What would Jessica Fletcher do?’ Principle 5. Create a healthy space Principle 6. Own your expertise but don’t be a jerk Principle 7. Be an impact lighthouse Principle 8. Be you Final words

Professional and scholarly

Dr Julie Bayley is Director of Research Impact Development and Director of the Lincoln Impact Literacy Institute (LILI) at the University of Lincoln, UK. She is a research-active Health Psychologist and has delivered impact consultancy around the sector for many years. Julie is also a proud patient advocate and dementia carer.