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The dilemmas and uncertainties in assessing the societal impact of research

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  • Juha-Pekka Lauronen

Abstract

In the 2000s, many European Union countries have established research impact assessment practices as part of the scrutiny of the third mission of universities. The Finnish research evaluation system has widely adopted a societal impact criterion. In this study, the question is what guiding principles does impact assessment rely on. This point of view is based on the experiences and opinions of experts interviewed for the study. Four implicit principles of impact assessment which guide assessment goals and practical implementations were found. The guiding principles have several social and methodological dilemmas due to liminal interpretations between social interests and academic endeavor. This study recommends that the evaluation scholars should consider the actual social purpose vis-à-vis consistent methodological approaches to assessment before applying ‘all-round’ solutions to scholarly fields.

Suggested Citation

  • Juha-Pekka Lauronen, 2020. "The dilemmas and uncertainties in assessing the societal impact of research," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 47(2), pages 207-218.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:scippl:v:47:y:2020:i:2:p:207-218.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/scipol/scz059
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Juha-Pekka Lauronen, 2022. "Tension in Interpretations of the Social Impact of the Social Sciences: Walking a Tightrope Between Divergent Conceptualizations of Research Utilization," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(2), pages 21582440221, April.
    2. Ferreira, Paula & Rocha, Ana & Araujo, Madalena & Afonso, Joao L. & Antunes, Carlos Henggeler & Lopes, Marta A.R. & Osório, Gerardo J. & Catalão, João P.S. & Lopes, João Peças, 2023. "Assessing the societal impact of smart grids: Outcomes of a collaborative research project," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    3. Rene Brauer & Mirek Dymitrow, 2020. "The Language of Sustainable Tourism as a Proxy Indicator of Quality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    4. Jonna Brenninkmeijer, 2022. "Achieving societal and academic impacts of research: A comparison of networks, values, and strategies [University Research Funding and Publication Performance - an International Comparison]," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 49(5), pages 728-738.
    5. Dotti, Nicola Francesco & Walczyk, Julia, 2022. "What is the societal impact of university research? A policy-oriented review to map approaches, identify monitoring methods and success factors," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).

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