Impact
The impact of social science research
Engaged social science research drives positive social change through partnerships in every area of society, from community-based initiatives, to international collaborations.
Our research plays a vital role in informing evidence-based policy and legislation, enhancing the work of professionals and practitioners, and supporting successful social and commercial enterprises.
Over 98% of the impact case studies that we submitted to REF2021 were assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent in terms of reach and significance.
Understanding impact
Engaging with research users
Impact training
Evaluating and evidencing impact
Recommended Resources
Impact resources and reading
REF impact
We recommend that researchers make use of these resources from previous REFs to find out about impacts that have been claimed by research field, impact type, or geographic location.
This can help you with ideas on impact presentation, as well as identifying relevant stakeholders, the types of knowledge exchange activities undertaken, and the range of evidence used to substantiate impacts.