Impact indicators

Impact Indicators are used to assess progress towards societal goals, guide decision-making, and identify where adjustments may be needed. This page will introduce the tool that guides users on how to write them along with an inspirational list of examples.

How do you know if your research is making a difference in society?

Increasingly, academics are facing the need to indicate how their academic work relates to society. This requirement manifests itself in various forms, such as for evaluation procedures like the Strategy Evaluation Protocol (SEP) or part of the grant application process. When working in impact, researchers also draft their Theories of Change (ToC), impact statements, and narrative CV’s.

Impact Indicators are essential for tracking and evaluating progress toward defined goals and broader societal ambitions beyond academia. They help guide decisions by showing whether activities are being carried out effectively, creating meaningful change, or need adjustments.

Our impact indicators tool

The Impact Indicators: Overview and Menu Selection tool is designed to help academics and research units plan, track, and communicate the societal impact of their work. It has the following elements:

A practical guide that explains what impact indicators are and how to write them.
An inspirational menu of examples of outputs and outcomes that can be tailored to different research contexts.

It's good to note that indicators are not meant to serve as a checklist or as a means to overstate your achievements. Rather, they are reflective tools that support researchers in planning, evaluating, and learning from their work. Especially in the context of societal impact, their use requires careful and ethical consideration, acknowledging the nuances of how research interacts with communities and broader societal change.

As recommended by international frameworks, assessment practices must remain transparent and ethically grounded, especially in how data is gathered and interpreted.