Making a difference to society and culture through research
Research is about making a difference
- What is affecting society and culture through research?
- Why is it important to affect society and culture through research?
- How can you improve your ability to affect society and culture through research?
How would you like to impact the world with your research?
As a researcher, you have a responsibility for the impact your research has on the world.
Understand your values and align with organisations, communities, and businesses who can help your research to have a wider reach and impact.
What is affecting society and culture through research?
- A deeply held concept at the heart of academic life is the belief that research and researchers can make a difference to society and even change the world.
- There are many ways to contribute to the wider society, through sharing knowledge, involving individuals and communities with your work, and by influencing policy.
- One way to do this is by understanding the value and impact of research-informed policy-making and the correspondent responsibility of this.
- Understand the wider context you are operating within, in order to contribute to policy-making, or social, environmental, political, cultural or economic development.
- Part of being a researcher is having empathy and seeing the world from another’s point of view, so take into account how your research could impact other peoples’ lives.
- Making a difference on a wider scale involves understanding the needs and concerns of individuals and communities and incorporating feedback from stakeholders.
- The ultimate aim for researchers is to enrich society with their research.
Why is it important to affect society and culture through research?
- Research can affect policies and activities implemented at local, national or international levels by governments and organisations, which have an impact on society and the economy.
- The history of research has shown that research provides many developments, advancements in knowledge, new ideas and technologies, and better ways of organising and understanding society. Researchers are now expected to collaborate with, and form partnerships with, organisations and communities, to ensure that society and research maintain a two-way dialogue, with each informing the other.
- The wider public can also have an impact on research, and influence it, by taking part in national data surveys for example. Wider society also has expectations for how researchers and their institutions should behave and operate. Society wants to know the new futures that researchers are imagining and creating, as well as having a say in them.
- As universities rely on public funding, in turn they must demonstrate their responsibility, and be accountable and transparent.
- Researchers also have responsibilities – see our page for the full guide on this.
- Society expects that businesses and organisations should be responsible and act with integrity; this stems down to researchers, who need to be aware of their own behaviour and its impacts.
- It is the current expectation to be: ethical, fair, generous with knowledge, to do no harm, to be sustainable, and to be mindful of the wider community.
How can you improve your ability to affect society and culture through research?
Maximise your impact
make a list of all the ways you can and do have an impact with your research. Consider this on local, national and international levels, and in terms of society, economics, politics, culture and the environment. See our helpful links section below for resources on how to measure the impact of your research.
Review your professional network
review your network to deduce who could assist you in contacting and communicating with policy makers or local, national or international communities. Maintain good working relationships with people in a variety of sectors. Take an interest in your colleagues in your department and listen and learn from diverse voices. Start engaging with the local community by volunteering, or inviting them to your university, where they can learn about your research.
Understand your values
are you clear on your agendas and personal values? Are you clear on the values behind your research and your institution? Are these in alignment? Identify any areas of conflict. Do you have any social leadership responsibilities, as a representative of your institution? Identify the activities you can engage in that align with your values and that can simultaneously enrich society.
Involve stakeholders
get your colleagues, students, and less experienced researchers involved in your policy making, impact activities and community engagement. Approach your institution’s social responsibility department (or relevant department) about how you can contribute to the organisation’s vision.
Learn how to lobby stakeholders
Use lobbying techniques on the right people of influence and find out who makes the decisions and how these are made. Find someone who is an expert in this area and ask them for advice. Take some time to reflect on your political skills. Are you politically aware? Are you able to obtain resources, and deploy these for the benefit of others and to influence outcomes?
Final takeaways
- A deeply held concept at the heart of academic life is the belief that research and researchers can make a difference to society and even change the world.
- The history of research has shown that research provides many developments, advancements in knowledge, new ideas and technologies, and better ways of organising and understanding society. Researchers are now expected to collaborate with, and form partnerships with, organisations and communities, to ensure that society and research maintain a two-way dialogue, with each informing the other.
- Maximise your impact – make a list of all the ways you can and do have an impact with your research. Consider this on local, national and international levels, and in terms of society, economics, politics, culture and the environment. See our helpful links section below for resources on how to measure the impact of your research.