When talking about research impact, we often talk about ‘pathways to impact’ which may suggest a direct path from research to impact, with a few stops along the way. 

This direct pathway from research, via stakeholders and beneficiaries, and ending with impact is rarely seen in reality. Projects take twists and turns, engaging multiple stakeholder groups, hitting dead ends, and combining multiple pieces of research at different stages. So what might this look like?

First of all, what elements are involved in impact pathways?

  • Research: research impact must be underpinned by research. What this looks like may vary between disciplines and subject areas, from peer reviewed journal articles to performances or exhibitions.
  • Stakeholders: Stakeholders are those with an interest in your research and its impact. This may include beneficiaries, but also those that could be affected in other ways (positive, negative, or neutral)
  • Beneficiaries: Beneficiaries are those who will gain benefit from the outcomes of your research. They may directly benefit from research outcomes or indirectly via the activities of research stakeholders (secondary beneficiaries). These are the groups who receive the benefits of the impact.
  • Impact: Impact is the beneficial change exhibited in society as a result of research. It may be a direct result, or a secondary impact – a further benefit as a result of an initial impact. You can find out more about impact in our blog, What is Impact (and why should I care)?
  • Our Glossary of Impact and Knowledge Exchange has a more in-depth list of useful terms.

One piece of research, several routes through stakeholders

Your initial research may connect to a range of stakeholders, which provide you with various routes to generate impact. You may also find that engaging with one group of stakeholders allows you to identify and connect with an additional group, ultimately leading to impact.

Research connecting to stakeholders, and leading to further research

Your research may have connections to stakeholders and lead to some initial impact similarly to the first example, and also prompt further research which in turn connects to more stakeholder groups, expanding the reach of your impact, or offering different impacts to different groups, stemming from the same initial research.

Multiple pieces of research serving the same stakeholder group

You may find that several distinct pieces of research – whether your own, or led by other researchers or groups – all connect to the same stakeholder group. This may lead to impact directly, or in bringing together the pieces of research to develop further research informed by engagement with the stakeholder.

Co-designed and participatory research generating impact throughout the project

Your research project may involve stakeholders from the outset and throughout the project, leading to impact developing alongside research taking place, or to iterative processes of impact developing, further research and engagement taking place, and impact thus being further developed.