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2 years ago in Academic Scholarship By Fathima M

How do I measure the real impact of my scholarship beyond citation counts?

My papers have modest citations, but I know my work influences policy and teaching. How can I capture and present this broader impact for grant applications or promotion reviews where committees often just look at H-index?

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By Boomathi Answered 1 year ago

Impact is a story told with evidence. Move beyond citations by building an "impact portfolio." Collect: 1) Policy & Practice Evidence: government reports citing your work, mentions in NGO documents, changes to clinical guidelines. 2) Public Engagement Metrics: quality media interviews, invited public lectures, op-eds with high reach. 3) Educational Impact: adoption of your work in textbooks or syllabi (you can search Google for your name + "syllabus"). 4) Data/Software Reuse: download stats, user testimonials, forks on GitHub. 5) Professional Recognition: invited keynotes, prestigious panels, awards. Weave this into a 2-page impact narrative for your dossier. For grants, use the UK's REF impact case study model: describe the research, the pathway to impact, and the corroborating evidence. This demonstrates your work matters in the world, not just in journals.

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