The Three Rules of Impact

The Award Winning Julie Bayley

Two years ago we held the first of our 'Maximising Impact' events. Shortly after, we invited the Award Winning Julie Bayley (Coventry) to talk us about 'what works' when it comes to impact. Julie has a refreshingly open and approachable take on impact, and listening to her speak gives hope to all who are confused and intimidated by impact.

Last Wednesday we held the second 'Maximising Impact' event, and it made sense to have Julie speak to us again. This time she built on what she'd said before by setting out three basic rules of impact.

Social Media, Networks and Impact

A couple of years ago Nadine Muller, a cultural historian and English literature researcher at Liverpool John Moores University, visited the University of Kent to talk about how she used social media in her work. One thing that stood out was how much of her efforts were based around creating a virtual community.

Muller studies the cultural understanding of widowhood. By engaging with widows’ groups on Twitter, she has gained access to a more personal well of experience. She has also connected with people beyond academia who might benefit from or be interested in her research, including policymakers, teachers and informed lay people.

Research, especially in the humanities and some areas of the social sciences, can be solitary work. Social media, Muller said, allowed her to discuss her work and interact with people without leaving her desk. It also gave her a chance to think aloud, and to run a rough draft of a paper or a research project past people before taking it further.

The same goes for those of us who support academics. At the European Association of Research Managers and Administrators (Earma) Conference this year, I am linking up with colleagues from the universities of Ghent and Coventry, and University College Dublin, to deliver a session on using social media. 

Impact: What Works?

The Award-Winning
Julie Bayley

Whilst impact has become an accepted fixture on the research landscape since it was introduced by the Research Councils in 2008, there is still a nervousness about what it is and how it should be recorded.

Fortunately help is at hand: Julie Bayley has developed a national reputation in supporting colleagues in understanding impact at Coventry University, and she accepted our invitation to come to Kent and talk about her experiences.