Interesting Resources

[Sam Laban]

Feel free to add resources. We can add video and images, but if you have a presentation let me know because there's an app for doing that as well.

[Sam Laban]

Paper from Andy Sterling, University Sussex (UK) where he shows how science policy, co-creation of knowledge and cu research partnerships are coming together.

Abstract : Discursive deference in the governance of science and technology is rebalancing from expert analysis toward participatory deliberation. Linear, scientistic conceptions of innovation are giving ground to more plural, socially situated understandings. Yet,growing recognition of social agency in technology choice is countered by persistently deterministic notions of technological progress. This article addresses this increasingly stark disjuncture. Distinguishing between “appraisal”and “commitment”in technology choice, it highlights contrasting implications of normative, instrumental, and substantive imperatives in appraisal. Focusing on the role of power, it identifies key commonalities transcending the analysis/participation dichotomy. Each is equally susceptible to instrumental framing for variously weak and strong forms of justification. To address the disjuncture, it is concluded that greater appreciation is required—in both analytic and participatory appraisal—to facilitating the opening up (rather than the closing down) of governance commitments on science and technology.

[Sam Laban]

An Arm Load of Research....www.yaffle.ca

Memorial University has created an easily search-able database of it's research projects.

“Yaffle provides an open, accessible tool that researchers, communities and policymakers alike can use to match Memorial’s research and education expertise with provincial needs,” said Dr. Kelly Vodden, an assistant professor with the Department of Geography and one of the most vocal supporters of Yaffle.

[Sam Laban]

Nirmala Lall (U Vic) "Measuring the Impact of University-Community Research Partnerships"

"The purpose of this paper is to address the question: What does the literature tell us about which combination of evaluation tools and impact assessment models are most effective in measuring the impact of institutional support structures for community-university research partnerships such as the Office of Community-Based Research at the University of Victoria or the Community-University Partnership Programme at the University of Brighton, England?"

Nirmala also discusses the growing references to, and discussion of, the short-term impact of C-U research partnerships.

Thank you to Budd for sending this.

[Leslie Ayre-Jaschke]

I see that this article referenced Jamie Gamble's primer on developmental evaluation (and Michael Quinn Patton has a new book on DE coming out next month), but didn't mention Outcome Mapping, which looks at documenting and building an evidence base for "contribution," rather than the more difficult and often unattainable "impact."

OM is a type of developmental process that encompasses planning, monitoring and evaluation. The International Development Research Centre (IDRC) in Ottawa is the innovator of OM and we are using it for the Alberta Rural Development Network. OM is particularly useful for complex and rapidly evolving work, which probably describes most community-based projects.
http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-26586-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html

[Budd Hall]

Excellent European Report on Civil Society and Knowledge Creation

The main objective of STACS is “to explore the feasibility of future academia-civil society partnerships in different re-
search areas and how to optimise the interaction between science dynamics and the needs and concerns of society”.addressing the ecological, economic and social crisis in an integrated way has fostered the emergence of problem-based approaches, that emphasize trans-disciplinarity and that see knowledge not only as a product, but also as a process.

[Tania Smith]

Capturing the impacts of funded research
http://cjournal.concordia.ca/archives/20100610/capturing_the_impact...
Concordia Journal Home > Archives > June 10, 2010 issue >
Capturing the impacts of funded research
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council gets results into the community
By Karen Herland
"Four years ago, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) turned to 17 researchers across the country and asked them to focus their considerable skills on “Capturing the Outcomes and Impacts of Publicly Funded Research.” The aim was to find ways to better measure the impact, and communicate the results of the social sciences and humanities research it funds. " ...

[Budd Hall]

Thanks Karen for this excellent article.

[Leslie Ayre-Jaschke]

I attended a presentation at the Canadian Evaluation Society's conference in Victoria in June entitled "Innovative evaluation practices: Cross-case study analysis to maximize the value of evaluation results" by Shannon Clark-Larkin and Natalie Froese of RA Malatest & Associates. This work is a part of the evaluation strategy for the Government of Alberta's Initiative on the New Economy (INE), which was a 5-year $100 million in new research funding announced in 2000 (launched in 2001) to strengthen education, research and innovation. The presentation was on a portion of the evaluation strategy and it shows the promise of cross-case analysis for capturing that hard-to-capture "added value." The full evaluation report and management response is available (scroll down to INE) at: http://www.sshrc.ca/about-au_sujet/publications/evaluations-eng.aspx

[Tania Smith]

2008 SSHRC report on the economic impact of the Social Sciences and Humanities
http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/about-au_sujet/publications/impacts_e.pdf
SOURCE: SSHRC website (http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/) About SSHRC > Reports and Publications > Consultation Reports

The Economic Role and Influence of the
Social Sciences and Humanities:
A Conjecture

March 2008

by The Impact Group

PREFACE: "This report was commissioned by the Corporate Performance, Evaluation and Audit Division of
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). SSHRC is the federal
agency that promotes and supports university-based research and training in the humanities and
social sciences. The purpose of the report is to stimulate further discussion and research on the economic
importance of the social sciences and humanities. The opinions expressed herein are those of
the author."

SUMMARY
"This essay explores the role and influence of the social sciences and humanities (SSH) on one
aspect of society - the economy. The project has several objectives: develop a framework
within which the economic role and influence of the SSH can be examined; stimulate a broader
discussion of the economic role and influence of the SSH within the community of SSH scholars
and researchers; to motivate additional academic research; and, contribute to increased
awareness of the role that the SSH - and SSHRC - play in society at large and particularly in its
economic life. Key findings are:
• The economy is the sum of the economic pursuits of individuals and groups operating in a
particular social and cultural context. As such, SSH inputs and methods are extremely
relevant.
• There is broad consensus that science and technology writ large are important to economic
growth but little understanding of specific of the role of SSH.
• This study is about economic role and influence, not econometric “impact”.
• Calls are growing to measure the return from government investment in research of all
types. The SSH have inherent value to society and should not be primarily judged according
to their economic impact. That said, it is important to understand their economic impact. ..."
... etc.

http://screencast.com/t/ODVhNmFkZWM Screenshot of Table 10, p. 29, showing estimates of the Canadian economic impacts of SSH (Social Sci / Humanities) compared to STEM (Science Tech Engg Math)