In the last five years, impact has become a part of the assessment criteria for academic work and worth. It has been adopted by many research funding councils and will be included in the next Research Excellence Framework. Yet a clear definition of impact remains both elusive and contested and guidance on how to achieve it is often superficial.

Based on in-depth analysis of a range of sources, this book develops a conceptual framework for analysing impact across the social sciences.

Drawing on 15 interviews with social policy academics, an analysis of the Research Excellence Framework impact case studies and the Economic and Social Research Council Early Career Impact award winners, it draws out the similarities and differences between social science disciplines and across the life course of academic careers, making recommendations on how and when scholars can achieve impact.