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Guide to using Twitter in university research, teaching, and impact activities
Podcasts on measuring your impact, the REF, and academic communication
Maximizing the impacts of your research: A handbook for social scientists
THE News
Category Archives: Evidence-based Policy
Apr 18 2013
Social policy academics must stop excluding themselves from national debates on the welfare state
2 CommentsThe around-the-clock public debate on welfare has been steadfast, yet social policy academics have been noticeably absent from these debates. Daniel Sage argues that while the media bear some responsibility for this, there are numerous ways in which academics exclude themselves. The … Continue reading
Posted by: April 18, 2013
Tagged with: welfare reform
Apr 11 2013
The current enthusiasm for evidenced-based policy needs to be met with a greater degree of methodological caution
1 CommentMichael Bassey encourages the government’s foray into evidence-based policy-making, yet with a note of methodological caution: good research only provides an indication of what may work, rather than a definitive solution. Instead of expecting policy to be evidence-based, it should be seen as evidence-informed. … Continue reading
Posted by: April 11, 2013
Tagged with: what works
Mar 28 2013
Just a letter from 100 academics – some thoughts on ‘impact’ and ‘public engagement’
4 CommentsEducation Secretary Michael Gove’s recent condemnation of the ‘Marxist academics’ who expressed concern over the revised national curriculum exposed the complex relationship between academia and policy-making. Pat Thomson raises concerns over what this means for impact assessment and academic freedom when research … Continue reading
Posted by: March 28, 2013
Mar 25 2013
A cooperative social science is needed to respond to the politics, policies, and problems facing global cities
1 CommentThere is a great need to understand the role of urbanisation in society and respond effectively, particularly given global economic and social insecurity, argues Mike Goldsmith. But the increasing specialization within disciplines means that such vital dialogues on cities are … Continue reading
Posted by: March 25, 2013
Tagged with: cities, interdisciplinary
Mar 20 2013
Evidence-based practice: why number-crunching tells only part of the story
Comments OffRebecca Allen welcomes greater attention and government funding towards randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in education. But further conversations are still needed on how best to design and implement these trials given diverse educational contexts and difficulties in gathering accurate data. The social science … Continue reading
Posted by: March 20, 2013
Tagged with: RCTs, what works
Feb 26 2013
Case studies are a bridge to influence and a versatile method for communicating research findings
Comments OffBeyond its publicised use in the Research Excellence Framework, James Harvey considers the wider role of the case study as a research method and underlines its often overlooked function as a tool for communicating with different audiences and stakeholders. The case … Continue reading
Posted by: February 26, 2013
Tagged with: case studies, REF
Jan 27 2013
Life in the ‘Alpha Territory’: investigating London’s ‘Super-Rich’ Neighbourhoods
1 CommentThe lives of the ‘super-rich’ are often subject to media scrutiny but have rarely been examined by social scientists in any detail. Roger Burrows explains how a new project intends to rectify this, through an interdisciplinary study of elite enclaves within London. … Continue reading
Posted by: January 27, 2013
Jan 8 2013
Researching research: New skills of targeting audiences and networking are now necessary to create impact
6 CommentsCorrectly targeting your audience and specifically tailoring outputs to policymakers is key to improving the impact of your research. Sarah Lester explains how building contacts and targeted dissemination of research requires skills outside those traditionally used in academia. Since 2009 … Continue reading
Posted by: January 8, 2013
Tagged with: Academic communication, Climate Change, impact
Dec 3 2012
Research-based policymaking is complicated… or is it?
Comments OffHaving an impact on policymaking with your research may seem like an impenetrable dream when academics start of think of the tangled web of policy interactions that they must navigate. Kirsty Newman explains that the policymaking process is easy… once … Continue reading
Posted by: December 3, 2012
Tagged with: government, impact
Nov 30 2012
Five Minutes with Neil Carberry,CBI: “To the extent that there is accessible academic work there, it will be used”
Comments OffPart of PPG’s Impact of Social Sciences project focuses on how academic research in the social sciences influences decision-makers in business, government and civil society. Rebecca Mann talked to Neil Carberry of the CBI about the use of social science … Continue reading
Posted by: November 30, 2012
Tagged with: Business, impact
