Over the last few months, the Impact Team has been working on improvements to the Research Impact and Knowledge Exchange Resources. This hub of resources covers all aspects of research impact and how it interacts with knowledge exchange, from REF to writing for the Conversation. 

During the process of refreshing our resources, we have looked at which resources you find the most useful, which ones we can make clearer or consolidate into fewer or more concise documents, and how we can make the resources easier to navigate. The new resource folders are organised around stages of impact, guiding you through the whole process. This should make it easier to find everything that you need, when you need it. 

  • Impact and Knowledge Exchange – in depth

This folder contains longer external texts which cover all aspects of Impact, including Mark Reed’s eBook: Research Impact Handbook

  • The Purpose of Impact and Knowledge Exchange

A starting point to get to grips with what Impact and Knowledge Exchange are, and why they are important.

  • Understanding Impact in Practice

You know what impact and knowledge exchange are, but what does that really mean for you? This folder contains guidance on types of impacts and specific contexts such as impact museum-university partnerships or policy impact.

  • Developing and Incorporating Impact into Research

Extensive documents on how to plan and incorporate impact throughout your project in all areas.

  • Collecting Evidence

You know what impact is, you’ve planned it and now you’re doing it. This folder contains guidance on collecting evidence of impact, whether for your own evaluation or for external bodies such as REF or funding bodies.

  • Writing about Impact

Guidance on writing about your impact, from writing for the Conversation or other media to REF case studies.

  • Examples of Impact and Knowledge Exchange

This folder contains examples of real impact and knowledge exchange, from the University of Portsmouth and elsewhere. This includes written case studies as well as videos, podcasts and blogs. Use these to find out more about the impact that is going on, or get inspiration about how to share your own impact with others.

  • Engagement, Communication and Dissemination

Engagement, Communication and Dissemination can be important from the start of a project until long after the research has finished. Look here for tips on how these can help you plan your impact, make it happen, and tell the world about it.

  • Confidentiality, Consent and Data Protection

Another aspect that is important throughout impact and knowledge exchange: check here for information on meeting standards for confidentiality, consent and data protection.

Each folder contains a folder guide to help you find what you need and signpost you to other useful resources. You can also find a “Getting Started” guide for each section, giving you an overview of the essentials for each step in the impact journey. If you’re brand new to impact, ‘The Purpose of Impact and Knowledge Exchange’ is a great place to start, explaining what it is and why you should involve it in your work.

The Impact and Knowledge Exchange Resources are accessible to all staff through Google Drive and can be found here. We add and amend resources often to make sure that you have the most relevant information to hand, so we recommend bookmarking folders and documents rather than downloading. These resources complement the intranet pages covering Impact through Knowledge Exchange. We have reviewed and updated these pages to provide guidance and signpost you to important information. 

If you have any questions that aren’t answered by these resources, or about how to use these resources, please contact the Impact Team: impact@port.ac.uk
You can also sign up to the Impact Group to receive monthly impact newsletters and important updates.