Webinar: Measuring the success of social science commercialisation

25th February 2021

Training

On February 17th we brought together a panel of leading voices in social science commercialisation to explore how its successes can be measured.

The measurement of research impact and commercialisation activity is a live issue across the board. This debate is particularly complex for the social sciences, which have traditionally been assessed in terms of their social impact – however, measuring success here needs to go much wider and be far more nuanced than this.

With the currently used metrics arguably being more aligned with STEM rather than social sciences subjects, how can we seek to capture the value of social sciences commercialisation activity in a relevant and accurate way?

In a 1 hour knowledge-sharing discussion the panellists explored why a different approach to measurement is so important for the social sciences, the range of metrics that might be used to evaluate commercialisation in this area and what difference this could make to those who are seeking to demonstrate the value of social science commercialisation.

Webinar recording

Panel members

  • Professor Julia Black (Chair), Strategic Director of Innovation, London School of Economics and Political Science, and Chair of the ASPECT Steering Group
  • Professor Sir Ian Diamond, National Statistician and Chief Executive, UK Statistics Authority (UKSA)
  • Professor Susana Mourato, Department of Geography & Environment, London School of Economics and Political Sciences
  • Professor Stephan Chambers, Director and Professor in Practice, Marshall Institute for Philanthropy and Social Entrepreneurship, London School of Economics and Political Sciences
  • Professor Nic Beech, Vice-Chancellor, Middlesex University

Session summary

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