As researchers, we aspire to making a contribution, however small, to enriching our world with evidence and insight. But it can be hard to unpick the impacts that research has had, and even more challenging to demonstrate those impacts with robust evidence.  

About this webinar

In this webinar, recorded live in 2021, Matter of Focus co-director and University of Edinburgh Honorary Fellow Dr Sarah Morton explores some of the challenges of understanding and assessing research impact, especially where research is used in influencing, inspiring and educating people, and where issues of cause and effect are more complex.

Sarah has developed a pioneering approach to understanding research impact, based on contribution analysis. This has been applied in seven independent impact assessments, to help people with REF impact case studies, and is the basis for the approach and software developed by Matter of Focus. In the webinar Sarah shares the approach and some of the lessons learned from carrying out impact assessments on different topics and parts of the world.

Who will find this webinar of interest?

  • Anyone carrying our research with the view to influencing, inspiring and educating people, and where issues of cause and effect are more complex.
  • Research leaders that want to be able to inspire others to work in impactful ways.
  • Leaders or administrators of research centres or evidence to action teams that want to meaningfully track their impact.
  • Researchers or teams concerned with getting evidence into action in the public and third sectors.

About the host: Dr Sarah Morton.

Sarah has been working on evidence to action for 19 years. She is internationally recognised for developing innovative approaches to ensure decision-makers have access to the best evidence for taking organisations, policies, and practices forward.

Sarah pioneered a participatory approach using contribution analysis to understand impact, and this is the basis of our approach here at Matter of Focus. Cutting her knowledge exchange (KE) teeth at the pioneering Centre for Research on Families and Relationships, Sarah broadened understanding of the interaction between research, policy and practice through research and practice work with UNICEF, What Work Scotland and others, and worked alongside organisations to use evidence for improving services for the families and communities they serve (with Healthcare Improvement Scotland, Starcatchers, The Scottish Book Trust, Shelter Scotland and others).