Knowledge exchange is defined by the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as the two-way exchange between researchers and research users to share ideas, research evidence, experiences and skills. This can be for its own worth or to achieve impact, defined as the demonstrable contribution that excellent research makes to society and the economy. This impact can be instrumental – influencing the development of policy, practice or services – conceptual or capacity building.1 As such, knowledge exchange and impact can range far beyond engagement with central government policy makers and elected representatives, important as these undoubtedly are. Public engagement with research or engagement of a wide range of other policy actors – including at the local level as well as from the third sector private and grassroots organisations – can provide huge opportunities for researchers to share and co-produce their research.
This type of engagement is important across research disciplines, but it poses particular challenges and opportunities within migration studies. The often highly salient, and sometimes polarising, nature of migration and its impacts means that public engagement and knowledge exchange are key tools for influencing debate and challenging existing frames and narratives. Similarly, research on migration can involve engaging with those with lived experience. Avoiding extractive research methods involves working with these individuals and communities – not only through research design and methods, but also through knowledge exchange. This involves examining one’s own positionality as researchers, and the power dynamics inherent within this, in order to ensure that research supports positive engagement. More broadly, true knowledge exchange allows for co-productive approaches – not only sharing the learning from research findings, but also bringing expertise from policy, practice and lived experience into research agendas and questions – in order to improve the quality and relevance of research.
Whilst recognising the central importance of academic independence and rigour, this chapter explores how the engaged researcher can enrich their practice through sustained partnership building and deliver long-lasting impact.
Citation
Broadhead, J. (2024) "Chapter 22: Beyond dissemination: knowledge exchange, impact and the active researcher" in Allen, W. & Vargas-Silva, C. (eds.) Handbook of Research Methods in Migration, Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781800378032.00035