Posing fundamental questions around the worth of knowledge creation and the social value of in-depth research, this volume offers a novel approach by exploring why impact is important in academic research, rather than explaining how it should be conducted. Using qualitative data to unpack what research impact really constitutes, this book foregrounds the practicalities of achieving impactful, high-quality academic research, and argues for the importance of best practice in instilling public and reputational value of research for wider societal gain. Chapters unpack the concept of impact, and discuss how it can be made more tangible and realisable, particularly in the context of theoretical or pure research where research outcomes are often obscure. Calling for greater clarity in how to articulate the value of impact within research strategies, the book will ultimately argue for the central role of impact in core research processes and support the development of career researchers in their practical roles and identity formation. The book will be of interest to academics and postgraduate students involved with research methods, research policy, and higher education more broadly. Despite the predominantly UK-based context of the research, the volume will have resonance in countries where knowledge economy concepts have impacted on higher education policy and practice, and so research managers and higher education policy advisors may also find the book of interest.

This unique addition to the Success in Research series addresses the importance of understanding and achieving impact for the purposes of gaining research funding and reporting achieved impact for the Research Excellence Framework (REF). The book includes contributions from researchers and researcher developers who feel that impact is ill-defined and poorly understood despite its prevalence in policy documents, websites and institutional activities. This succinct and cohesive text draws on the expert contributors′ collective research practice, knowledge and experience. Using a variety of examples, boxed activities and highlighted reflection points, this practical guide covers the following key areas: The meaning of impact in relation to research How the Impact Agenda fits with attitudes and ethics that motivate research The different characterisations of research impact and when impact is apparent How impact can be planned into proposals, evaluated and evidenced The skills needed to be an impactful researcher How impact can be supported through Knowledge Exchange and effective partnerships This is a must-have guide for anyone seeking to understand and achieve impact in their own research. The Success in Research series, from Cindy Becker and Pam Denicolo, provides short, authoritative and accessible guides on key areas of professional and research development. Avoiding jargon and cutting to the chase of what you really need to know, these practical and supportive books cover a range of areas from presenting research to achieving impact, and from publishing journal articles to developing proposals. They are essential reading for any student or researcher interested in developing their skills and broadening their professional and methodological knowledge in an academic context.

Scientometrics have become an essential element in the practice and evaluation of science and research, including both the evaluation of individuals and national assessment exercises. Yet, researchers and practitioners in this field have lacked clear theories to guide their work. As early as 1981, then doctoral student Blaise Cronin published "The need for a theory of citing" —a call to arms for the fledgling scientometric community to produce foundational theories upon which the work of the field could be based. More than three decades later, the time has come to reach out the field again and ask how they have responded to this call. This book compiles the foundational theories that guide informetrics and scholarly communication research. It is a much needed compilation by leading scholars in the field that gathers together the theories that guide our understanding of authorship, citing, and impact.

The book explores the academic characteristics, career development, and impacts of “foreignness” of Chinese overseas returnees in research universities. It provides valuable insights into the international mobility of academics and the challenges and opportunities that returnee scholars face in terms of research, teaching, international exchange, income, academic promotion, job satisfaction, and career mobility in their academic careers. Using first-hand large-scale survey data, the author presents quantitative analyses of the international mobility of Chinese academics at the individual level. She evaluates the impact of overseas experience on academic career development, and further proposes practical policy suggestions to attract and retain returnee talent in academia in China. The book’s findings have important implications for policy-makers, university administrators, and academics who seek to address the challenges and opportunities of international academic careers and promote the internationalization of research universities in China and beyond.

Issues in Healthcare Management, Economics, and Education: 2011 Edition is a ScholarlyEditions™ eBook that delivers timely, authoritative, and comprehensive information about Healthcare Management, Economics, and Education. The editors have built Issues in Healthcare Management, Economics, and Education: 2011 Edition on the vast information databases of ScholarlyNews.™ You can expect the information about Healthcare Management, Economics, and Education in this eBook to be deeper than what you can access anywhere else, as well as consistently reliable, authoritative, informed, and relevant. The content of Issues in Healthcare Management, Economics, and Education: 2011 Edition has been produced by the world’s leading scientists, engineers, analysts, research institutions, and companies. All of the content is from peer-reviewed sources, and all of it is written, assembled, and edited by the editors at ScholarlyEditions™ and available exclusively from us. You now have a source you can cite with authority, confidence, and credibility. More information is available at http://www.ScholarlyEditions.com/.

This book is designed to introduce doctoral and graduate students to the process of conducting scientific research in the social sciences, business, education, public health, and related disciplines. It is a one-stop, comprehensive, and compact source for foundational concepts in behavioral research, and can serve as a stand-alone text or as a supplement to research readings in any doctoral seminar or research methods class. This book is currently used as a research text at universities on six continents and will shortly be available in nine different languages.

Cross-cultural experiences in university settings have a significant impact on students’ lives by enriching the learning process and promoting cultural awareness and tolerance. While studying abroad offers students unique learning opportunities, educators must be able to effectively address the specific social and academic needs of multicultural learners. Exploring the Social and Academic Experiences of International Students in Higher Education Institutions is a pivotal reference source for the latest research on the issues surrounding study abroad students in culturally diverse educational environments. Featuring various perspectives from a global context on ensuring the educational, structural, and social needs of international students are met, this book is ideally designed for university faculty, researchers, graduate students, policy makers, and academicians working with transnational students.