Enhancing the visibility and impact of scholarly research: An exploratory study on knowledge production settings

Abstract

Research work and knowledge production have a lack of visibility and impact strategies. At the individual level, researchers must share their results and disseminate outputs, such as publications, patents, etc. In addition, research work is a collaborative space based on formal and informal procedures. The literature on the field argues that there is the need to improve the visibility of research in order to enhance its impact, at both the academic and the societal level. This article is based on recent studies about impact-oriented monitoring and assessment. In order to identify researchers' tools and strategies to address this situation, an exploratory study in two university research centers in Portugal was developed. Preliminary results show a need for implementing strategies at both organizational and individual levels that define the relevance of knowledge production for the research center, while simultaneously promoting visibility and impact of this production.