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Research metrics

Information and resources to demonstrate impact using research metrics

Upcoming Research Spotlights

Library Research Spotlight's - Completed for 2023. 

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Demonstrating impact

The activity of measuring and describing the quality and impact of academic research is increasingly important in Australia and around the world. In Australia, factors behind this include:

  • economic conditions and increasing competition for government funding
  • development of ERA which measures the academic excellence of research and the view that impact measures would complement this assessment
  • general concern to improve the operation of the national innovation system
  • need to demonstrate to the public that research funds are well-spent

ERA 2018 included an Engagement & Impact Assessment report that "examined how universities are translating their research into economic, social and other benefits and encourage greater collaboration between universities, industries and other end-users of research."  In this context the ARC used the following definitions: 

  • Engagement: the interaction between researchers and research end-users outside of academia (including governments, businesses, non-governmental organisations, communities and community organisations), for the mutually beneficial transfer of knowledge, technologies,  methods or resources.
  • Impact: the contribution that research makes to the economy, society, environment or culture, beyond the contribution to academic research.​

Source: https://utas.libguides.com/research_impact

Maximising research impact

This guide provides information on a range of metrics and the tools available to calculate those traditional quantitative metrics.

Information on Alternative metrics, or Altmetrics, is available in the online guide: Altmetrics

Information on how to capture evidence and describe research outputs is available in the online guide: Research Evidence for Grants and Promotion

It is important to communicate your research, this can be achieved by:

  • Creating researcher profiles
  • Making your publications available via open access 
  • Sharing your research data
  • Communicating your research on social media
  • Joining researcher networks

For more information on communicating and sharing your research consult the online guide: Strategic publishing

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