Impact: From techniques and measurement to values and philosophy

2010 Conference

Abstract:

There is now major concern to explore the impact of public and user involvement in research. The focus has so far been on measuring such impact to establish what value involvement adds and what benefits it may offer, for example, to research, policy change, service users and resarchers. This is important, but impact is more than a technical matter. We need to consider more carefully how and why it is defined; what values and philosophies may underpin its development and consideration and whether there are different, competing and even conflicting understandings and ideologies of impact. So far limited attention has been paid to this. Yet if we are to advance our understanding of ‘impact’, especially with the context of the new Research Excellence Framework and ensure that impact as a construct and a system of measurement and evaluation is approached from an inclusive and thought-through way, it will be necessary to pay more attention to its methodology and methods. The aim of this workshop is to provide an early opportunity for such discussion, in a safe and accessible setting, where no particular view or ‘line’ is adopted or pursued, in order to support the development of discussion about impact both within and beyond INVOLVE in a helpful and supportive way. The aim therefore will be to facilitate discussion in the workshop, encouraging participants from different stakeholder groups to contribute and provide some early information to indicate helpful lines for further inquiry and development. It is hoped that this session will encourage greater undestanding about ‘impact’ as an idea, as well as a technique and better equip participants to engage with such discussion in their own work and more generally for the future.