There is a lot of discussion of the societal impact of research. Not every researcher has to aim for societal impact. However, everyone should be familiar with the key features of the phenomenon in order to better understand the relationship between research and society. It is also good to be able to describe the relationship of your research to society in funding applications, for example.
In this online course, we will explore what societal impact of research is and how it is created. You will learn the role of interaction in creating impact and identify different paths of interaction. You will find out why it is important to know your relevant audiences and how to interact with them. In the course, we will also consider how the societal impact of research is evaluated and to what extent impact is in the hands of a researcher. Finally, a practical approach to promoting impact from the point of view of impacting societal decision-making will be presented.
The course is specifically aimed at researchers. It is not limited to researchers in any single field, but societal impact is viewed from the perspectives of several different disciplines.
The course is open to all and free of charge. You can do it entirely at your own pace and sign up right away. It takes about 3–6 hours to go through all the material.
Researcher's online course on research impact © 2024 by University of Helsinki is licensed under CC-BY-NC 4.0 license.
The course has been produced by the University of Helsinki in collaboration with the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters.
Course authors: Laura Valkeasuo, Reetta Muhonen, Anssi Mälkki, Iiris Koivulehto and Inka Nokso-Koivisto.
