The Two Major Divisions of ARI: The Internal and External
Many of these terms, concepts, and phrases also encompass a wide range of both Academic Research Internal (in proximity of and inherent to the Academy’s research, scholarly, and creative activity enterprise) and External Impacts (primarily considered to be with and for the public and society).
Internal ARI in many circles is thought to be closely related to a term called academic impact. Some have stated that academic impact is the research knowledge contribution to a field of study within academia (
link).
External ARI is thought of by many individuals, agencies, and governance boards to be closely related to a term called research impact. This is impact that extends outside of academia. This concept of research impact has been highly emphasized by many agencies and governance boards that provide funding for academic research [1,2,4,6,7,9,11,12,14,17]. Examples of what would fit in these two major categories of ARI are provided below.
Some examples of External ARI would be: generating better public perceptions; increasing public engagement and understanding; increasing a competent and well-prepared workforce; increasing literacy; bettering the economy and environment; generating more businesses and useable technologies; enhancing and changing public policy outside of academic institutions; increasing well-being, competency, and the human condition; and empowerment.
Some examples of Internal ARI would be: money to do basic, social science, arts, humanities, and translational or applied research; improving internal university structures, values, and ideas; enhancing and changing public policy inside of academic institutions; generating, discovering, or disseminating knowledge, publications in journals etc., or having book contracts; generating patents; and acquiring Facilities & Administrative (F&A) cost better known as Indirect Cost (IDC) to maintain and expand university and college research infrastructure and support services.
Faculty Conversations About Impact
I have heard from more than ten thousand (10,000) faculty at numerous Universities and Colleges throughout the world comment on ARI. Why talk to so many faculty? I have heard from more than ten thousand (10,000) faculty at numerous Universities and Colleges throughout the world comment on ARI. Why talk to so many faculty?
There were two main reasons. One, is because I love talking and working with faculty. The second reason, I wanted to understand what faculty really thought about the topic especially after being asked by a faculty colleague – "Isn’t it all Academic Research Impact (ARI) if the impact is associated with research and it comes from someone in the Academy?". At the time this question was asked, I could not provide an informed response to this question.