Research Use and Impact Assessment

Dr Temba Masilela
Deputy CEO Research

What we do

The Research Use and Impact Assessment unit consolidates the dissemination and knowledge management activities of the HSRC into a single unit that plays a strategic role in supporting researchers in maximising the impact of their research by engaging in activities such as knowledge exchange, synthesis and application.

The specific objectives of the unit are to:

• Provide an enabling environment to facilitate research uptake
• Build institutional capacity to enable public engagement and research communication
• Improve on knowledge management which is needed to ensure regular reflection and learning from both successes and failures in research programmes
• Implement monitoring and evaluation processes to learn about the performance of the HSRC's communications activities and identify what works, what doesn't and the reasons why.

Key focus areas

This programme is structured around 4 focus areas. Each focus area has a set of Outcomes which provide a comprehensive range of interventions which are proactive and seeks to be sustainable.

Key Focus Area 1: Building the bridge between research, policy and action

This Key Focus Area seeks to improve access to HSRC research knowledge through the adoption of a coherent research communication strategy. Research communication is defined as to include all kinds of communication and dialogue occurring at different stages of the research process, and not just a linear, one-way ‘dissemination' of the final results.

In delivering on Key Focus Area 1 the unit focuses on six outcomes:

• Consolidating and strengthening existing communication efforts and developing new methodologies and approaches
• Analysing and synthesising research to provide a tailored information service
• Supporting participatory research and public engagement
• Improving individual and institutional capacity to communicate research
• Understanding the reach and impact of our research
• Improving the quality of our scientific communication by providing advice to researchers about where to publish

Key Focus Area 2: Data Curation

The second Key Focus Area  seeks to improve the way the data in the HSRC is preserved, managed and shared for future re-use, both within the organisation and with external partners.

(Data Curation is defined as the activity of managing and promoting the use of data from its point of creation to ensure it is fit for contemporary purpose, and available for discovery and re-use.)

 In delivering on Key Focus Area 2 the unit focuses on three outcomes:

• Implementing a strategy for the preservation of all project-related information and data
• Working with research managers to develop data management plans for their research projects
• Providing suitable electronic platforms for data sharing 

High quality data, resulting in high quality research and policy recommendations depend on data being properly organizes and preserved and their accuracy and integrity controlled. The Research Use and Impact Assessment unit preserves and archives all data-sets to ensure long-term safekeeping and protection from obsolescence, loss, deterioration or irreversible damage.

The unit works with research managers to develop data management plans for their research projects and with research managers and researchers to assist them in developing data management strategies. These include providing assistance in document management, making backups, providing suitable data storage, having adequate security and preparing data for archiving.

Through this unit, the HSRC plans to provide two unique resources offering access to the latest research on Africa and providing contextualised data-sets from selected HSRC projects as well as best practice and indicators. These resources are:

• The Observatory for Indicators Monitoring Africa's Social Progress; and
• A Data Curation Centre providing leadership in data acquisition, preservation,
  dissemination and curation of digital data in the social sciences and the Humanities
  in South Africa and the African region.

 Key Focus Area 3: Knowledge Management

 Traditionally, knowledge management is defined as the practice in which organisation consciously and comprehensively gathers, organises, shares and analyses its knowledge in terms of resources, documents and people skills. While It is typically considered to be an internal management tool, in the HSRC, however, the term is elastic and is stretched to include both internal and external processes, thus ensuring that HSRCs knowledge flows into the hands of people who need it.

In delivering on Key Focus Area 3 the unit focuses on three outcomes:

• Developing systems to capture learnings from research projects once they are completed
• Offering a bibliometric and citation service to researchers .
• Developing an intellectual capital framework for the HSRC in order to protect and manage its intellectual property