Fast Track Impact

Mark Reed

The podcast for researchers who want to be more productive and achieve real-world impacts from their research. Every week, Mark Reed gives you practical tips and discusses how you can enhance the impact of your research, based on the latest research.

  1. Episode 44: What is good practice engagement and impact?

    18/12/2023

    Episode 44: What is good practice engagement and impact?

    This week, Mark talks through a series of good practice principles for engagement and impact, published in his recent blog post - Add your own feedback and ideas here The blog builds on a number of sources, including: Mark’s Impact Culture book (see the bottom of this page for his impact culture toolkit) NCCPE engagement guidance Mark’s “Re-thinking impact…” paper You can download a written transcript of this episode here

    26 min
  2. Episode 43: Evidencing engagement and impact for REF2029

    18/11/2023

    Episode 43: Evidencing engagement and impact for REF2029

    This week, Mark explores what the recent REF2029 guidance means for impact, including a discussion of what we might be expected to write about in the new engagement and impact narrative, and an evidence-based approach to writing a 4* impact case study. NCCPE engagement guidance My “Re-thinking impact…” paper What made a 4* impact case study in REF214 paper My 4* REF2021 impact case study Impact templates (in the Google Sheets menu, go to File > Make a copy to save an editable version) 3i analysis template Fast Track Impact Planning Template You can download a written transcript of this episode here

    41 min
  3. Episode 42: Interview with Michael Parker from The Conversation about generating and evaluating impact from media engagement

    21/10/2023

    Episode 42: Interview with Michael Parker from The Conversation about generating and evaluating impact from media engagement

    This week, Mark talks to Michael Parker, Director of Operations at The Conversation, a news outlet that specialises in working with researchers, giving them editorial control on a global platform. Drawing from their work together creating the Media Impact Guide and Toolkit, Mark and Michael discuss how researchers can harness the media to get more impact from their research and provide evidence of both the reach and significance of the impacts that arise. Read the Media Impact Guide and Toolkit Find out more about The Conversation Sign up for next year’s Exchange conference You can download a written transcript of this episode here

    41 min
  4. Episode 41: Tips for evidencing impact with evaluation expert Eric Jensen

    08/10/2023

    Episode 41: Tips for evidencing impact with evaluation expert Eric Jensen

    Eric Jensen is an expert in impact evaluation who has written a textbook on many of the most useful methods you'll need and leading two companies that specialise in impact evaluation consultancy and training alongside his academic research on environmental issues. In this interview, he provides tips to help you design a more effective survey to evaluate your impact, and explains how you can repurpose widely used impact planning tools as evaluation tools, that will help you improve your practice as much as they will give you evidence of impact. Find out more about the Institute for Methods Innovation via his Methods for Change website  Learn about Qualia Analytics software to help you both collect and analyse impact evaluation data Watch Eric training with Mark and others on the use of Theory of Change to evaluate impact Read Eric's book, Doing Real Research: A Practical Guide to Social Research  You can download a written transcript of this episode here

    29 min
  5. Evaluation Episode 40: Can software take the pain out of impact monitoring and evaluation?

    18/09/2023

    Evaluation Episode 40: Can software take the pain out of impact monitoring and evaluation?

    This week, Mark interviews Laura Tucker (Vertigo Ventures), Tobias Schoep (GrowImpact), and Sarah Morton (Matter of Focus) about the platforms they have developed to help researchers keep track of their impacts. Find out more about each platform: GrowImpact OutNav from Matter of Focus Impact Tracker, part of the impact ecosystem from Vertigo Ventures You can download a written transcript of this episode here

    45 min
  6. Episode 39: How arts-based methods can enrich your evaluation of impact - with Dr Rachel Blanche

    03/09/2023

    Episode 39: How arts-based methods can enrich your evaluation of impact - with Dr Rachel Blanche

    This week, Mark interviews Rachel Blanche from Queen Margaret University Edinburgh to find out how arts-based methods can provide depth and rigour to an impact evaluation. They discuss a range of approaches including visual, performative and narrative methods, the types of evidence these methods can generate, how these approaches can empower participants in determining what’s meaningful, and how evaluating in this way can itself generate further impacts. Rachel shares two examples of arts-based methods used to evaluate impact in healthcare research – a theatre project capturing data on dementia care (citing this paper) and (a participative creative inquiry on osteoporosis The paper we mention writing together about evaluating impact with arts-based (among other) methods can be accessed here Watch the training Rachel and I ran on evaluating impact And you can find out more about Rachel's work here You can download a written transcript of this episode here

    48 min
  7. Episode 38: What does a real impact evaluation look like?

    21/08/2023

    Episode 38: What does a real impact evaluation look like?

    Mark discusses a range mixed methods evaluation designs that can help you collect data to evidence impacts arising from industry, policy, media, and public engagement. The methods are easy to use without any specialist training or experience, and can generate useful data in some of the trickiest areas of impact evaluation. Find out more about the "postcard to your future self" method Find out more about the Media Impact Guide and Toolkit Read Mark's REF2021 case study in which he evidenced a range of policy impacts You can download a written transcript of this episode here

    40 min
  8. Episode 37: Getting creative with impact evaluation

    17/07/2023

    Episode 37: Getting creative with impact evaluation

    How do you design an impact evaluation? There is no blueprint, but in this episode, Mark gives you the tools you will need to choose an evaluation design with methods that can deliver convincing evidence while giving you win-wins for your research. Evidencing impact paper | Decision tree You can download a written transcript of this episode here

    31 min
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About

The podcast for researchers who want to be more productive and achieve real-world impacts from their research. Every week, Mark Reed gives you practical tips and discusses how you can enhance the impact of your research, based on the latest research.

Information

  • Creator
    Mark Reed
  • Years Active
    2016 - 2023
  • Episodes
    111
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    Fast Track Impact