A refined method for theory-based evaluation of the societal impacts of research

Belcher, B.; Davel, Rachel; Claus, Rachel

doi:10.1016/j.mex.2020.100788

Cited by 52 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…The ToC explains both how and why a project is expected to contribute to a set of results (i.e. outputs, outcomes and impacts) (Coryn et al , 2011; Belcher et al , 2020; Vogel, 2012; Weiss, 1997). The ToC details the primary actors, steps and pathways in the change process and specifies the theoretical reasons for the changes.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating and improving the contributions of university research to social innovation

Belcher

Claus

Davel

et al. 2021

SEJ

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Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the contributions of graduate research to social innovation and change for learning and improved transdisciplinary practice. Universities, as centers of teaching and research, face high demand from society to address urgent social and environmental challenges. Faculty and students are keen to use their research to contribute to social innovation and sustainable development. As part of the effort to increase societal impact, research approaches are evolving to be more problem-oriented, engaged and transdisciplinary. Therefore, new approaches to research evaluation are also needed to learn whether and how research contributes to social innovation, and those lessons need to be applied by universities to train and support students to do impactful research and foster an impact culture. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a theory-based evaluation method to assess the contributions of three completed doctoral research projects. Each study documents the project’s theory of change (ToC) and uses qualitative data (document review, surveys and interviews) to test the ToC. This paper uses a transdisciplinary research (TDR) quality assessment framework (QAF) to analyze each projects’ design and implementation. This paper then draws lessons from the individual case studies and a comparative analysis of the three cases on, namely, effective research design and implementation for social transformation; and training and support for impactful research. Findings Each project aimed to influence government policy, organizational practice, other research and/or the students’ own professional development. All contributed to many of their intended outcomes, but with varying levels of accomplishment. Projects that were more transdisciplinary had more pronounced outcomes. Process contributions (e.g. capacity-building, relationship-building and empowerment) were as or more important than knowledge contributions. The key recommendations are for: researchers to design intentional research, with an explicit ToC; higher education institutions (HEI) to provide training and support for TDR theory and practice; and HEIs to give more attention to research evaluation. Originality/value This is the first application of both the outcome evaluation method and the TDR QAF to graduate student research projects, and one of very few such analyses of research projects. It offers a broader framework for conceptualizing and evaluating research contributions to social change processes. It is intended to stimulate new thinking about research aims, approaches and achievements.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating and improving the contributions of university research to social innovation

Belcher

Claus

Davel

et al. 2021

SEJ

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Nevertheless, assessing societal impact of research is challenging and varied. As per Belcher et al (2020) societal impacts are achieved when engagement and productive interactions between researchers and non-academic stakeholders influence and contribute to the creation and use of knowledge and lead to changes in behaviours and actions of stakeholders, even if they are gradual. Therefore, societal impact can be easily achieved by enhancing productive discussions between researchers, business professionals and policy makers (Janinovic et al, 2020).…”

Section: Assessing the Societal Impact Of Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, when the reference is made to research with societal impact specifically, there are additional considerations. First, the classical aim of the review of literature remains the same-to make a meaningful, novel, original theoretical contribution that leads to deeper understanding of important real-world problems (Belcher et al, 2020). Second, in distinguishing the relevant research gaps, a good grasp of the practical, confirmed experiences is needed-which refers to the mix of scientific and other professional literature and best practices.…”

Section: Identifying Research Problemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fostering Research with Societal Impact in Higher Education Institutions: A Review and Conceptualization

Pãunescu

Nikina-Ruohonen

Stukalina

2022

Innovation, Technology, and Knowledge Management

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There is an increasing pressure on Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to produce societally relevant and impactful research, and to actively engage with non-academic stakeholders who are looking for answers to their challenges. This is a special challenge for social sciences, such as business, management, entrepreneurship, as opposed to natural sciences that rely largely on quantifiable data and statistics. The present chapter addresses this challenge and introduces the dimensions of societal impact of research produced by HEIs and describes the mechanism through which HEIs can provide impactful research needed for economic competitiveness and societal well-being. Illustrations are offered on how HEIs can boost their ability to transform the results of academic and applied research into beneficial knowledge and management practice for stakeholders, including business, industry, economy and civil society at large. The chapter sheds light on how to reinforce collaboration with non-academic stakeholders and partners within research and innovation ecosystems. To support the HEI’s work, a framework for managing research with societal impact in HEIs is proposed.

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“…Theories of change built with local partners enable conservation scientists to contribute to developing a common understanding of the challenges and building a common commitment to deciding how to allocate resources and how and when to trigger interventions. Theories of change built at the start of interventions or retrospectively can also form the basis of evaluating the effectiveness of interventions, serving as a focus for learning and adaptive management (Belcher et al 2020). In our experience, theories of change are most useful as consensusbuilding and societal learning tools (Brondizio et al 2016).…”

Section: Theories Of Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Transdisciplinary science for improved conservation outcomes

et al. 2020

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Summary Major advances in biology and ecology have sharpened our understanding of what the goals of biodiversity conservation might be, but less progress has been made on how to achieve conservation in the complex, multi-sectoral world of human affairs. The failure to deliver conservation outcomes is especially severe in the rapidly changing landscapes of tropical low-income countries. We describe five techniques we have used to complement and strengthen long-term attempts to achieve conservation outcomes in the landscapes and seascapes of such regions; these are complex social-ecological systems shaped by interactions between biological, ecological and physical features mediated by the actions of people. Conservation outcomes occur as a result of human decisions and the governance arrangements that guide change. However, much conservation science in these countries is not rooted in a deep understanding of how these social-ecological systems work and what really determines the behaviour of the people whose decisions shape the future of landscapes. We describe five scientific practices that we have found to be effective in building relationships with actors in landscapes and influencing their behaviour in ways that reconcile conservation and development. We have used open-ended inductive enquiry, theories of change, simulation models, network analysis and multi-criteria analysis. These techniques are all widely known and well tested, but seldom figure in externally funded conservation projects. We have used these techniques to complement and strengthen existing interventions of international conservation agencies. These five techniques have proven effective in achieving deeper understanding of context, engagement with all stakeholders, negotiation of shared goals and continuous learning and adaptation.

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A refined method for theory-based evaluation of the societal impacts of research

Cited by 52 publications

References 27 publications

Evaluating and improving the contributions of university research to social innovation

Evaluating and improving the contributions of university research to social innovation

Fostering Research with Societal Impact in Higher Education Institutions: A Review and Conceptualization

Transdisciplinary science for improved conservation outcomes

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