Presentation delivered to the 8th International Conference on Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries on impact in the context of library and information science research

1. What happens next? Strategies for building and assessing the
long-term impact of research projects
Closing keynote presentation
8th International Conference on Qualitative and
Quantitative Methods in Libraries
27th May 2016
Dr Hazel Hall
Professor of Social Informatics
@hazelh

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http://hazelhall.org/about

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@hazelh
#QQML2016

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http://jis.sagepub.com/content/42/3/369.abstract

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Public engagement and impact
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Public engagement is not impact
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To what extent do our
services meet these
particular (information)
needs?
How does the use of our
services have a wider impact
on our users?
What is the value of our
services (in general)?
In LIS: impact understood in terms of service value

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How should we evaluate
academic impact in general
(bibliometrics)?
To what extent does LIS
research influence LIS
practice?
How should we evaluate
library and information
services?
In LIS impact as a theme of study

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What can we do to ensure
that our research has an
impact on practice?
Today’s agenda: impact as integral part of research activity
How can you design a study
to measure impact?
Show us the evidence!

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To facilitate a co-ordinated
and strategic approach to LIS
research across the UK
(2009-2012)

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To facilitate a co-ordinated
and strategic approach to LIS
research across the UK
(2009-2012)
To explore the extent to which
LIS research projects
influence practice (2011)
To create outputs to support
the use and execution of
research by librarians and
information scientists (2012)
To develop a UK-wide
network of LIS researchers
(2011-2012)

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What can we do to ensure
that our research has an
impact on practice?
Today’s agenda: impact as integral part of research activity
How can you design a study
to measure impact?
Show us the evidence!

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To explore the extent to
which LIS research
projects influence
practice (2011)
To create outputs to
support the use and
execution of research by
librarians and information
scientists (2012)

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Recommendations derived from:
Literature review
Practitioner poll (200)
‘Impactful’ project case studies (5)
Sector-specific focus groups (3)
 Public
 Academic
 Healthcare
Validation survey (213)

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Recommendations for researchers:
Seek high-profile sponsorship and on-going
support of projects
Conduct sector-specific studies of direct
relevance to particular groups
Engage practitioners in project design and
implementation
Deploy dissemination strategies that align
with how and where practitioners consume
new information
 Create teaching and community
support materials
 Publish in non-academic titles
using clear language

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http://lisresearch.org/rilies-project

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What can we do to ensure
that our research has an
impact on practice?
Today’s agenda: impact as integral part of research activity
How can you design a study
to measure impact?
Show us the evidence!

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To develop a UK-wide
network of LIS researchers
(2011-2012)

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DREaM events and reach
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Five events
2 conferences
3 linked workshops – for the ‘cadre’ of DREaMers
213 participants, 33 presenters
Remote audience
~80 blog posts
~800 tweets
Multiple web pages, SlideShares, SoundClouds,
Vimeos etc.

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Expert-led research
methods training:
• 3 workshops
• 12 sessions

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Dissemination of
research:
• Unconference half hours
at workshops
• One minute madness at
conferences

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DREaM impact in 2012
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Growth in knowledge and expertise in research
skills
Substantial growth in theoretical knowledge
Modest increase in application of new skills
Greater confidence as researchers
Widened networks
Brettle, A., Hall, H., & Oppenheim, C. (2012). We have
a DREaM: the Developing Research Excellence and
Methods network. Paper presented at the 4th
International Conference on Qualitative and
Quantitative Methods in Libraries, Limerick, Ireland,
22-25 May 2012.

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DREaM impact to 2015: anecdotal evidence
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Development of new resources
Research, evaluation and audit, Facet, 2013
First editor was a DREaMer
A third of the book’s authors had some involvement with the
LIS Research Coalition
Events
Organised by DREaMers
Participation from others who were associated with the project
But what else?
Particular interest in less visible impact

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Have the DREaM workshop
participants innovated in the
workplace since 2012?
Has their post-DREaM
research determined services
provision, or influenced the
LIS research agenda?
To what extent can they point
to any impact of their post-
DREaM research on end-
user communities?
Has DREaM network
participation opened up new
opportunities for their
research?
Do they continue to operate
as a network?

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Survey distributed to
workshop participants:
• Population of 35
• Completion by 32
Work undertaken in 2015: survey

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Work undertaken in 2015: focus groups
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10 participants
4 in Edinburgh
6 in London

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https://hazelhall.org/2015/06/22/dream-again-project-launch/

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Have the DREaM workshop
participants innovated in the
workplace since 2012?
Has their post-DREaM
research determined services
provision, or influenced the
LIS research agenda?
To what extent can they point
to any impact of their post-
DREaM research on end-
user communities?
Has DREaM network
participation opened up new
opportunities for their
research?
Do they continue to operate
as a network?

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YES!
‘[I have used this session] to
inform consultancy work with
clients. It highlighted a
number of issues and
prompted me to research
further.’
‘Although I have not used this
in my own research...this has
been really helpful in allowing
me to understand and
participate in discussions
about research methods.’

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Have the DREaM workshop
participants innovated in the
workplace since 2012?
Has their post-DREaM
research determined services
provision, or influenced the
LIS research agenda?
To what extent can they point
to any impact of their post-
DREaM research on end-
user communities?
Has DREaM network
participation opened up new
opportunities for their
research?
Do they continue to operate
as a network?

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YES!
50% actively involved in
research
Themes: information literacy,
policy, health, cultural heritage,
data mining, data protection,
economics, education,
employability, knowledge
management, law, politics,
psychiatry, social justice
Claims of 12 participants that 40
of 87 outputs have informed
policy (20), determined services
provision (23), developed LIS
research agenda (15), all 3 (5)

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Majority:
• Internal presentations
• Blogs and social media
• Journal publications
• Peer review service

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Have the DREaM workshop
participants innovated in the
workplace since 2012?
Has their post-DREaM
research determined services
provision, or influenced the
LIS research agenda?
To what extent can they point
to any impact of their post-
DREaM research on end-
user communities?
Has DREaM network
participation opened up new
opportunities for their
research?
Do they continue to operate
as a network?

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We have
examples
Understanding of student use of
learning spaces  changes to
physical environment within
academic library
Articulation of information literacy
priorities public library
participation in the discourse

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Have the DREaM workshop
participants innovated in the
workplace since 2012?
Has their post-DREaM
research determined services
provision, or influenced the
LIS research agenda?
To what extent can they point
to any impact of their post-
DREaM research on end-
user communities?
Has DREaM network
participation opened up new
opportunities for their
research?
Do they continue to operate
as a network?

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DREaM contributed to the
development of my research
capability and profile and has
influenced my decision to seek a
stronger academic role.
Involvement in the project
helped me develop confidence
as an LIS researcher to go on
to write successful bids and be
an active part of the LIS
research community.
YES!

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17 job changes - and
participation in the DREaM
project was a factor in 11
(NB correlation between number
of research outputs and
likelihood of changing role)
I have been promoted… This
required a considerable
research portfolio and DREaM
has contributed to this.
Furthermore [two cadre
members] provided references.
DREaM gave me the
confidence to go for more
senior roles, and gave me a
thorough background
knowledge in research.

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Have the DREaM workshop
participants innovated in the
workplace since 2012?
Has their post-DREaM
research determined services
provision, or influenced the
LIS research agenda?
To what extent can they point
to any impact of their post-
DREaM research on end-
user communities?
Has DREaM network
participation opened up new
opportunities for their
research?
Do they continue to operate
as a network?

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YES!
Majority (22) maintain
social and work ties
All but one of the rest
maintain either social
or work ties
12 active collaborators
on 37 initiatives
Collaborators most
productive: 70%
research outputs
The higher the number
of work-related ties,
the greater the quantity
of research outputs

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Other forms of impact from DREaM
Delivery of events
Format, e.g. lecture-workshop switch
Delegate participation, e.g. One Minute Madness
Speaker participation, e.g. widened pool
Reporting of events
Deployment of social media

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What can we do to ensure
that our research has an
impact on practice?
Mission accomplished?
How can you design a study
to measure impact?
Find advice in 11
recommendations of the RiLIES
project
DREaM Again as a worked
case study

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Over to you!

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Contact Hazel Hall
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@hazelh
http://hazelhall.org
http://about.me/hazelh
h.hall@napier.ac.uk
+44 (0)131 455 2760
Slides on SlideShare at:
http://slideshare.net/hazelhall

53. What happens next? Strategies for building and assessing the
long-term impact of research projects
Closing keynote presentation
8th International Conference on Qualitative and
Quantitative Methods in Libraries
27th May 2016
Dr Hazel Hall
Professor of Social Informatics
@hazelh