New Society portal to showcase research impact
The British Psychological Society has launched BPS Impact, an online portal where work that has potential social, economic and cultural benefits can be showcased
23 December 2014
In recent years, an increasing emphasis has been placed on 'impact' when seeking funding and assessing published studies. Now the Society has launched BPS Impact, an online portal where work that has potential social, economic and cultural benefits can be showcased.
The Society has released a call for more submissions to be included in BPS Impact, which aims to demonstrate the significant influence that high-quality psychological research has had, or could have, on society. It is hoped this resource will be useful for individuals, organisations and nations, as well as those who are involved in developing policy, service provision, legislation and behaviour change.
Professor Daryl O'Connor, chair-elect of the Society's Research Board, said: 'This BPS Impact portal represents an exciting new development for UK psychological science and reflects the changing demands of research and the requirements of the Research Excellence Framework. It was developed for three main reasons. First, to showcase the best examples of psychological research that has already demonstrated impact. Second, to highlight psychological research that has the potential to be impactful in the future and to help facilitate this process. Third, to provide a resource to inform, communicate and demonstrate the nature of impact in relation to psychological science. I'm looking forward to seeing the portal expand and become populated with the very best examples of impact.'
The portal aims to serve as a repository for completed research which has the potential to be impactful, defined as all kinds of social, economic and cultural benefits and impacts beyond academia. The database can be searched by keyword and submissions are accepted through an online system. Submissions can be updated as they accrue impact, providing an ongoing commentary on the work.
It is also intended that through the Society's contacts with government departments, high-quality research logged on the site will directly inform policymakers and advisers and, therefore, increase its impact. Recent meetings with government departments have highlighted the importance of providing input in an accessible form, and more importantly, the willingness of those departments to receive such input.
Submissions will be subject to peer review before publication on the web portal. If you have any queries about BPS Impact, its content, and making a submission, or require any assistance in identifying impactful research in an area not currently covered by the entries, please contact Dr Lisa Morrison Coulthard on [email protected]