Dancing with new partners: developing novel research methods to establish and monitor impacts of user engagement in times of austerity

Three active practice-related networks were brought together to exchange and disseminate knowledge on theoretical approaches and methods and to advance practice.

These include: the Sustaining IT use by older people to promote autonomy and independence (Sus-IT) project, part of the Research Council-funded New Dynamics of Ageing (NDA) programme; Engaging Scottish Local Authorities (ESLA) an ESRC/SFC-funded programme uniting university teams in Scotland; and the Academy of Social Sciences (AcSS), including a number of its members with expertise in research education in user engagement and impact.

The Dancing with New Partners team also drew on a wider constituency of international collaborators, to drive forwards a network dedicated to supporting the growth of capacity in practice-facing disciplines to undertake engaged research which is of benefit to research users.

The Network was launched at the British Academy, London, on October 25th 2011. Workshop summary and report are available.

• Workshop 1 January 2012. Conceptualising impact and demonstrating impact Host: University of Strathclyde; Convenors: Rehema White (St Andrew’s) and Daniela Sime (University of Strathclyde).
• Workshop 2 March 2012. Methods in user engagement Host: Northumbria University; Convenors: Irene Hardill AcSS (Northumbria University) and Heather Wilkinson (University of Edinburgh).
• Workshop 3 June 2012. Research education – approaches/methods to embodying impact Host: University of Leeds; Convenors: Helen Lawton Smith AcSS (Birkbeck) and Richard Thorpe AcSS (University of Leeds).
• September 2012 Final Conference Dancing with New Partners - Developing novel resesarch methods to establish and monitor impacts of user engagement in times of austerity, convened by the Academy of Social Sciences and Birkbeck College, venue Birkbeck College.

 

For further information about this project please see the project website or get in touch with Professor Irene Hardill.