The impact of impact: an invitation to philosophise

Brauer, Rene; Bjorn, Ismo; Burgess, Glenn; Dymitrow, Mirek; Greenman, John; Grzelak-Kostulska, Elżbieta; Pöllänen, Pirjo; Williams, Terry

Abstract

This position paper argues for the introduction of a philosophy of research impact, as an invitation to think deeply about the implications of the impact agenda. It delves into the transformative influence of prioritizing the end-product of the research journey over the entire knowledge production process. We argue, the prevalence of research impact assessment in Western research ecosystems has reshaped various facets of research, extending from funding proposals to the overarching goals of research agendas, assessment regimes and promotion structures.
Through self-reflective analysis, this position paper critically assesses the consequences of this paradigm shift. Utilizing perspectives from the UK, Poland, Sweden, and Finland, we explore tensions, conflicts, opportunities, and viabilities arising from such a shift in the teleological purpose of research. This selection of countries offers a spectrum, ranging from early adopters of impact assessment regimes to those where such evaluation is largely absent as of now, and its intermediaries. Moreover, our examination extends across different disciplinary foci, including allied health, earth science geography, business and management studies, human geography, and history.
Our findings suggest a discernible alteration in the fundamental logic of research, where the focus shifts from checks and balances geared towards the advancement of knowledge, towards other supposedly more important, goals. Here research, is merely cast as an instrumental means to achieve broader societal, political, economic, environmental (etc.) goals. Additionally, we observe that as the formalization of research impact evaluation intensifies, there are diminishing degrees of freedom for scholars to challenge contemporary power structures and to think innovatively within their research ecosystem.

Citation

Brauer, R., Bjorn, I., Burgess, G., Dymitrow, M., Greenman, J., Grzelak-Kostulska, E., Pöllänen, P., & Williams, T. (in press). The impact of impact: an invitation to philosophise. Minerva, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11024-024-09558-8

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 11, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Jan 29, 2025
• Deposit Date: Oct 14, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 30, 2026
• Print ISSN: 0026-4695
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-1871
• Publisher: Springer (part of Springer Nature)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11024-024-09558-8
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4865660