From knowledge to impact: tracing stakeholder engagement pathways within different research areas

Abstract This study analyses 207 REF2021 case studies through the SIAMPI framework, identifying 639 distinct pathways to impact and examining how configurations of stakeholder interactions shape research impact across different research areas. We find that indirect interactions (58% of pathways)—particularly via research evidence and policy documents—constitute the primary mechanism of knowledge translation. The analysis also reveals clear area-level differences: the social sciences predominantly engage indirectly with government stakeholders (weight = 0.36), the physical sciences, engineering, and mathematics emphasize direct industry collaboration (weight = 0.23), while the arts and humanities sustain a more balanced, multi-stakeholder mode of collaboration. Methodologically, the study demonstrates the value of analyzing integrated configurations of stakeholders rather than isolated interactions. Substantively, the findings contribute to research evaluation by: (1) confirming that indirect interactions are central to generating impact; (2) underscoring the need to develop evaluation criteria that are sensitive to research areas rather than assuming uniformity across areas; and (3) showing how interactional configurations can amplify impact by creating synergies among stakeholders. These results suggest that flexible evaluation approaches are needed—ones that recognize universal collaborative mechanisms while also attending to area-specific dynamics—so that policymakers and institutions can better understand how research creates social value.