Hard-to-assess research-impact nexuses in the humanities, arts, and social sciences

The chapter introduces the idea of ‘research-impact nexus’ and signposts some important areas of impact that are generative and valued within different communities across the arts, humanities and social sciences (HASS), but (may be) difficult to compress into the timeframes, contributory claims, and material evidence of benefit that are often associated with impact narratives ‘optimized’ for assessment purposes - such as those of the United Kingdom’s Research Excellence Framework (REF). The areas discussed in the chapter include: the critical, emancipatory, and subversive research-impact nexus; the discursive and conceptual research-impact nexus; the collective, reciprocal and deeply collaborative research-impact nexus; the creative, craft and design-based research-impact nexus; and the professionally-oriented and practice-based research-impact nexus. The chapter argues that, as research assessment is being reconsidered and reformed, it is important to reflect, not on ways to assimilate and domesticate hard-to-assess research-impact nexuses, but on how to recognise them as such and to draw on them to develop and sustain more responsible, caring and diverse cultures of research and impact.