RT Article
T1 Societal Impact as ‘Rituals of Verification' and The Co-Production of Knowledge
JF The British journal of criminology
VO 60
IS 3
SP 493
OP 518
A1 Crawford, Adam
LA English
YR 2020
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1694670538
AB Thinking about and operationalizing societal impacts have become defining characteristics of university-based research, especially in the United Kingdom. This paper reflects on this unfolding shift in the conceptualization and practice of research with particular regard to criminology. It traces the development of new regulatory regimes that seek to measure research performance and render impact auditable. It argues that these ‘rituals of verification' engender instrumental and narrow interpretations of impact that accord less space to research-informed social change as a non-linear and uncertain endeavour. This is juxtaposed with a conception of societal impact rooted in methodologies of co-production. Insights from the UK Research Excellence Framework 2014 and 2021 inform discussions and are contrasted with collaborative research efforts to apply co-production in policing research.
K1 Societal impact
K1 Audit
K1 Performance measurement
K1 REF
K1 Co-production
K1 Intellectual humility
DO 10.1093/bjc/azz076