How Researchers Can Maximise Their Impact Beyond Academic Publication
A publication is not the finish line. It is often the beginning of a much longer journey – one where research leaves the laboratory, reaches new audiences and, at its best, influences the world beyond academia.
For generations, academic success has been measured by publications, citations and journal impact factors. These remain valuable indicators of scientific quality and scholarly contribution. Yet the expectations placed on researchers are changing.
Today, universities, research funders and society increasingly ask a different question: What difference did your research make beyond academia? Did it help shape a public policy? Improve professional practice? Inspire innovation? Support local communities? Influence public understanding? Or simply provide evidence that helped someone make a better decision?
For early-stage researchers, this shift may seem daunting. After all, how can a PhD student or postdoctoral researcher hope to create societal impact while still learning the craft of research?
The good news is that impact is not reserved for senior academics leading big projects. More often, it grows from small, deliberate decisions made throughout the research process: asking the right people the right questions, communicating findings clearly, collaborating across disciplines and making research accessible to those who need it most.
Importantly, impact rarely follows a straight line. Sometimes research informs a government policy. Sometimes it changes the way a hospital treats patients. Sometimes it inspires a start-up, helps a teacher redesign a lesson, or gives a local community the evidence needed to advocate for change. Research can influence society in many different ways, often long after a project has officially ended. So, how can early-stage researchers maximise the impact of their work?
1. Start with people, not just the research question
Many research projects begin with a literature review. But impactful research often begins with a conversation. For example, you’re someone who is investigating urban air quality. The scientific literature helps you identify knowledge gaps, but conversations with city planners, environmental organisations and local residents reveal something equally important: children walk to school along some of the city’s most polluted streets, and decision-makers lack reliable local data to prioritise interventions.
Suddenly, your research question is not only academically interesting – it addresses a real-world need. This is why stakeholder engagement matters from the very beginning. Stakeholders help researchers understand how scientific knowledge might be applied in practice.
Early engagement also creates trust. If people feel involved in the research process, they are more likely to use the findings later.
Tip: Before finalising your next research proposal, ask yourself: Who might benefit from these findings? Reach out to one or two organisations for an informal conversation. Even a short meeting can reshape your understanding of the problem.
A common mistake: Many researchers think stakeholder engagement belongs at the dissemination stage. In reality, involving stakeholders only after publication often means missing opportunities to ask more relevant questions or design research with greater practical value.
2. Learn to tell the story behind your science
Excellent research can go unnoticed if the people who need it most cannot understand it. Consider two ways of describing the same study. The first is an academic abstract full of technical terminology, statistical methods and discipline-specific language. Perfect for specialists.
The second is a one-minute explanation for a city mayor:
“Our research shows that planting trees around schools could reduce children’s exposure to air pollution during their daily commute. Here are the neighbourhoods where this intervention would have the greatest effect.”
Science hasn’t changed. The audience has.
Researchers today communicate with many different groups, each with different priorities.
– Policymakers need evidence they can use in decision-making.
– Businesses want practical applications.
– Journalists need clear, accurate explanations.
– Members of the public want to understand why the research matters in their everyday lives.
This doesn’t mean oversimplifying research. It means translating complexity without losing accuracy. Think beyond journal articles. A short policy brief, an infographic, a podcast interview, a LinkedIn post or a public lecture may reach audiences that would never read a scientific paper.
Tip: The next time you present your research, prepare three versions:
– a 30-second explanation,
– a two-minute explanation,
– and a detailed academic version.
If you can explain your research clearly to a friend outside your discipline, you’re already developing one of the most valuable skills of a modern researcher.
3. Collaboration creates opportunities you may never find alone
Many of today’s biggest challenges – climate change, ageing populations, food security, artificial intelligence or sustainable cities – cannot be solved by a single discipline. Neither can research impact.
Try to think of a computer scientist developing an AI tool for healthcare for example. The technology may be impressive, but without doctors, ethicists, patients and healthcare administrators, it may never become usable in practice.
Or consider a social scientist studying youth unemployment. Working alongside economists, local authorities and employers may reveal solutions that would never emerge from a single disciplinary perspective.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is not simply about adding more authors to a publication. It is about combining different ways of thinking to solve complex problems.
Cross-sector collaboration is equally important. Industry partners, public authorities, schools, hospitals, museums and civil society organisations often understand practical challenges in ways that researchers cannot see from within academia.
For early-stage researchers, these collaborations also offer unexpected benefits: new skills, broader professional networks, future funding opportunities and alternative career paths.
A common misconception in the real-world: Collaboration is only useful for large international projects.
In reality, impact often starts much smaller with one conversation, one community partner or one local organisation willing to test a new idea.
Research increasingly shows that collaboration, co-creation and public engagement are among the most effective pathways through which knowledge creates societal value.
4. Make your research easy to find - and easy to use
After years of research, your paper is finally published. Yet many of the people who could put your findings into practice never read it – not because they aren’t interested, but because they can’t access it.
The same applies to research data. When datasets are not shared, other researchers may unknowingly duplicate work that has already been done instead of building on existing knowledge.This is one reason why open science has become such an important part of modern research.
Making publications openly available, sharing data where appropriate, documenting methods clearly and depositing research outputs in trusted repositories all increase the chances that others can build upon your work.
But accessibility is about more than open access publishing.
Always ask yourself:
– Can someone outside my field understand this?
– Are my figures easy to interpret?
– Could a policymaker quickly identify the key recommendations?
– Have I explained why these findings matter?
Sometimes the most impactful research output isn’t the paper itself. It may be a practical toolkit, a guideline, a training resource, an interactive dashboard or an openly available dataset that enables dozens of future studies.
Tip: Alongside your next publication, prepare a one-page summary written for non-researchers. It takes little extra time but dramatically increases the chances that your research will reach wider audiences.
Open science is increasingly recognised not only to improve transparency and research quality, but also as a way to strengthen collaboration and expand the reach of scientific knowledge.
5. Think about impact before someone asks you to measure it
One of the biggest misconceptions about research impact is that it begins after publication. In reality, many funding agencies now expect researchers to explain their potential impact before a project even starts. Applicants are increasingly asked to identify beneficiaries, describe pathways to impact and explain how they will engage stakeholders throughout the research process.
That doesn’t mean promising to change the world.It means thinking realistically about who could use your findings and how you might help them do so. Not every project will influence national legislation or transform an industry. Sometimes impact is much smaller-and just as meaningful.
Perhaps your research helps a local school redesign its curriculum. Perhaps a hospital adopts a new clinical protocol. Perhaps your open dataset enables another research team to make an important discovery. Perhaps a community organisation uses your evidence to secure funding for an initiative. These outcomes matter because they demonstrate that research has moved beyond academic discussion into practical application.
When considering impact, look beyond citation counts. You might also ask:
– Has anyone outside academia used my findings?
– Have I built lasting partnerships?
– Has my research informed professional practice?
– Has it contributed to public debate?
– Has it inspired further collaboration or innovation?
Impact is rarely a single event. More often, it is a series of small changes that accumulate over time.
Impact starts with a mindset
For early-stage researchers, thinking about impact does not mean compromising scientific excellence. It means recognising that excellent research and meaningful impact go hand in hand.
Scientific rigour provides credibility. Communication builds understanding. Collaboration creates opportunities. Openness increases visibility. Stakeholder engagement helps ensure relevance.
Together, these skills help research travel further than the pages of an academic journal.The most influential researchers are not always those with the longest publication lists. Increasingly, they are those who can connect ideas with people, evidence with decisions and discovery with action. For the next generation of researchers, these competencies are becoming just as important as technical expertise.
This is where projects such as SMART Researchers play an important role-supporting researchers in developing the knowledge, skills and confidence to engage beyond academia and maximise the value of their work. Because the true impact of research is measured not only by what is published, but by what changes because of it.
To follow the project’s developments and outcomes, stay tuned to the SMART Researchers Newsroom and its social media channels: LinkedIn, Instagram and X.