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Documenting Impact: An Impact Case Study of Anthropological Collaboration in Tobacco Control

Russell, A.; Lewis, S.

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Authors

S. Lewis



Abstract

In this article we consider the 'impact case study' (ICS) as a specific kind of document, one which, as part of the U.K.'s Research Excellence Framework (REF), enforces a common template for the description and measurement of the social and economic effects of research in U.K. higher education. We track the development of an ICS describing anthropological research in tobacco control which, after many iterations, was not submitted as part of the REF. We ask 'what is impact?' in cases where anthropological research is based on principles of collaboration and serendipity rather than the mechanistic 'research > translation > impact > measurement' model which an ICS is expected to follow. What is included and what excluded by the strictures of such a model? We are generally supportive of the impact agenda, feeling that university resources and activities have a vital role to play in progressive social change. However, the way 'impact' is recorded, appraised and measured in an ICS only captures a small proportion of the effects of anthropological research, and encourages particular forms of public engagement while discounting others.

Citation

Russell, A., & Lewis, S. (2015). Documenting Impact: An Impact Case Study of Anthropological Collaboration in Tobacco Control. Anthropology in Action: Journal for Applied Anthropology in Policy and Practice, 22(2), 14-23. https://doi.org/10.3167/aia.2015.220203

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Jun 1, 2015
Deposit Date Oct 22, 2015
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Anthropology in Action: Journal for Applied Anthropology in Policy and Practice
Print ISSN 0967-201X
Electronic ISSN 1752-2285
Publisher Berghahn Journals
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 22
Issue 2
Pages 14-23
DOI https://doi.org/10.3167/aia.2015.220203
Keywords Anthropology, Collaborative research, Impact case study, Research impact, Tobacco control.

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Copyright Statement
This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedited version of an article published in Anthropology in Action. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Russell, A. and Lewis, S. (2015) 'Documenting impact : an impact case study of anthropological collaboration in tobacco control.', Anthropology in action., 22(2): 14-23 is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.3167/aia.2015.220203





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