Socially Responsible Research?

In addition to the need to rethink the way research outcomes are measured, there is also a need to reflect on the role of the uni­ver­si­ty in promoting social equity in education. This includes access to knowledge and infor­ma­ti­on for weaker groups and those at risk of social exclusion. This is where the Erasmus+ Inclusive Responsible Research (IRR) project comes in.

Research tra­di­tio­nal­ly rewards sci­en­ti­fic findings that are dis­se­mi­na­ted within one’s own circle. Social impacts usually receive little attention. As a result, most rese­ar­chers whose work is assessed within these para­me­ters have a lack of reference points for clas­si­fy­ing the wider impact of their work. Consequently, there is little to no interest in the impact of their findings beyond the academic field. In terms of promoting social respon­si­bi­li­ty, new approa­ches and forms of support that go beyond theo­re­ti­cal analysis are needed.

3s is working in the IRR project con­sor­ti­um with experts from Spain, Romania, Slovenia and Serbia on indi­ca­tors, dia­gno­stic tools and gui­de­lines for improving the social impact of research. The findings generated through a thorough empirical approach (including qua­li­ta­ti­ve inter­views with around 150 research groups) cul­mi­na­tes in an indis­pensable online guide for researchers.