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We're the world's largest database of public policy documents and the evidence and influence behind them, trusted by 100s of universities, think tanks and gov agencies worldwide. Discover policy, track impact and find new ways to engage with policymakers
We’re excited to be attending and exhibiting at ER&L in Austin, Texas next week!
Our team members @ Mirage and @ Victor will be ready to chat all things Overton with ER&L delegates. Come by to learn more about Overton and how we work with academic institutions and their libraries.
The truth is you often don’t know who will be reviewing your funding application.
So take Dr. Julia Barzyk's advice: don’t skip the basics before digging into the details of your proposal 👇
Despite how often it’s used in the academic space, research impact can still feel like a vague concept.
So, how can we define research impact?
There are multiple definitions in the US alone.
Let’s dive in…
Using policy citation data to evidence the reach of your research can help your institution differentiate itself from competitors.
And the analysis of the reach and influence of your work can support efforts to further policy engagement, visibility and impact.
At Overton, we help research organisations quantify and map the visibility of their scholarly works in policy, and gain insight into the research that is informing policy worldwide.
Demonstrating how your scholarly outputs influence policy or resonate with policymakers shows that your work:
✔️ Addresses pressing real-world challenges.
✔️ Translates academic insights into actionable solutions.
✔️ Is influential and relevant enough to shape decision-making across the world.
Policy influence is a powerful demonstration of research relevance. But how can you demonstrate that influence?
Policy citations make for compelling evidence of societal engagement for external audiences.
And, if your institution is thinking about how to strengthen it’s impact strategy, we’ve put together a blog which lays out the key takeaways from the webinar - and it’s well worth a read: www.overton.io/blog/how-to-...
You can read the full THE article here: www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/diffe...
Without an institutional impact culture, impact management becomes compliance, and the value of impact is diminished.
With the right support, incentives and evidence base, impact becomes something institutions can nurture, scale and sustain.
Ultimately, the thread connecting this THE article and our webinar discussion is culture.
This aligns closely with what we explored in our recent webinar, where we spoke about how institutions can build an impact engine which allows them to move beyond reactive reporting and toward strategic decision-making.
- Understanding that impact grows from academic values, rather than managerial frameworks and assessments.
- Allocating time and resources to support impact work, and investing in internal expertise.
- Prioritising co-creation with external stakeholders.
- Recognising impact in promotions.
In practice, this means embedding impact into research culture through real, thoughtful institutional commitments, including...
The article argues that impact succeeds when it’s treated as part of scholarship, rather than administrative burden.
It’s a powerful framing, because it captures a challenge many universities face: impact is often something academics are expected to deliver, without the structures, incentives or time needed to make it sustainable and meaningful.
“Bad impact management treats impact as compliance; good impact management recognises it as scholarship and supports it.”
What’s the difference between good and bad impact management?
A recent Times Higher Education article written by Andy Phippen (Bournemouth University) and Louise Rutt (University of Plymouth) makes the distinction clear…
And to learn more about our Overton 101 webinars plus future webinar dates, check out the link below 👇
www.overton.io/overton-101-...
Want to learn more about the data behind Overton Index and how you can make the most of it?
Join us today at 2:00 PM GMT for another Overton 101 webinar!
Link to register ➡️ us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...
And the best part?
It’s free!
Click here to access the full guide here: www.overton.io/how-to
