Evidencing your impact
Evidencing impact through a variety of methods will build a robust case for impact.
Strong evidence underpins credible impact claims. By selecting the right indicators and matching them with clear, reliable evidence, you can demonstrate not only what has changed but also why your research made a difference.
Evidence includes any data, documentation or testimony that supports your impact claims. It makes your narrative credible and strengthens your case for funding, recognition or institutional reporting. Gathering evidence is a core part of making your impact visible and verifiable.
Evidencing your impact indicators and creating a record does not need to be difficult or time-intensive, but it will be easier if you include capturing your impact in your impact plan.
What kind of evidence should I capture?
The most appropriate evidence depends on the indicator and the type of impact. Often, testimonials (from partners, beneficiaries, or stakeholders) are both impactful and accessible. However, if possible, each indicator could be supported by multiple forms of evidence, such as:
- Policy documents or legislative references
- Guidelines, training manuals, or protocols
- Media coverage or public communication
- Event participation records
- Usage data or analytics
- Awards, recognition, or professional endorsements
- Reports or internal records from stakeholder organisations
You should also consider capturing baseline data. It is harder to measure change without knowing where you started, therefore capturing data before, during, and after research activities or engagement can be beneficial in the long run.
How do I capture evidence?
Having a plan to regularly search for and document evidence ensures nothing is missed. It helps you avoid the time-consuming and often incomplete process of trying to retrospectively find evidence after the fact.
It is also important to have a system to help you collect and organise your collected evidence. Some simple options include:
- A spreadsheet to track engagement activities, outputs, outcomes, and corresponding indicators
- A shared folder (e.g. Teams, OneDrive, or Google Drive) to save relevant documents such as reports, feedback, and media mentions
- A tagging system or notes field to link each item to a specific impact indicator
- Periodic check-ins to review what you’ve captured, identify gaps, and add new material
- A dedicated email folder to store testimonial emails or feedback received informally
You can also choose from a range of institutional or commercial tools, depending on your context and budget. For example:
- Records of impact module in Research Outputs
- Researcher Impact Database template
- Research Project Impact Database template
- Specialist software (e.g. Hivve ImpactTracker, Researchfish) that may require a subscription or research budget allocation
Collecting evidence of impact
Guides, from leading UK research organisations, that will support evidence capture.
- UK REF2021 Indicator and Evidence Guide
Examples of types of impact and inspiration for different types of indicators or evidence that could be used to show the reach and significance of that impact. - Collecting Research Impact Evidence – Best practice guidance for the research community
A guide for the collection, management and use of sources of impact evidence. - Capturing Impact from Social Media
Identifying and capturing useful social media impact data, interpreting and reflecting on its meaning, and building evidence to craft compelling impact stories. - Public Engagement Evaluation Framework
A UK-based Public Engagement Evaluation Framework that provides approaches for evaluating engagement activities, aiming to improve reporting clarity and support continuous improvement through reflection.