#EveryLittleActionCounts Week 45: Prioritize Long-Term Research Impact
In the neoliberal academic setting, the focus on short-term gains such as publication counts, ranking and citations, often overshadow research with long-term societal value for the common good.
Prioritizing long-term impact encourages academics to address pressing global challenges and create meaningful and positive change. By shifting the focus to sustainable and impactful research processes, academics can make their work more relevant to society and the common good.
“As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it.” – Antoine de Saint Exupery
Academics can support the prioritization of long-term research impact by:
Choosing research topics that address societal issues
Think about why and how your chosen topic will contribute positively to the common good and the broader society.
Developing performative contributions
Aim at contributing research that is applicable, understandable and accessible to policymakers, practitioners, and the general public.
Advocate for research evaluation that considers the value of and diversity of long-term contributions
Voice and highlight the importance to value diversification of long-term contributions over metrified short-term gains.
We would be very happy to hear about your strategies for prioritizing long-term research impact in academia.
Anne-Wil Harzing & Christa Sathish