From impact to legitimacy: Communicative responsibility and the governance of research impact

Universities face growing pressure to make clearer the public value of research, yet documented impact does not automatically translate into public recognition or legitimacy. This paper develops the concept of Communicative Responsibility, the institutional and ethical obligation to communicate research outcomes in ways that are legible, accessible, and resonant beyond specialist assessment contexts. Drawing on responsible research literatures, including Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) and Responsible Research in Business and Management (RRBM), we argue that communication should be treated as a core component of research governance and legitimacy. Empirically, we use the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 Impact Database to examine the communicative strengths and limitations of existing impact evidence. REF impact case studies are not the only way to understand research impact, nor are they primarily written for public audiences. However, they offer a useful proxy for examining how impact might be perceived and how it could be shared more effectively. Using mixed methods, we combine qualitative content analysis of 119 purposively sampled Business and Management cases with quantitative text analysis of all 504 non-redacted cases in the field. Findings show diverse impacts generated through collaboration, interdisciplinarity, and international partnerships, but also substantial variation in communicability. Cases that identify beneficiaries, pathways to change, and accessible dissemination routes are better positioned to reduce the impact-recognition gap. We contribute to theorizing Communicative Responsibility as a governance-relevant extension of responsible research. Our findings have wider implications for how universities communicate impact beyond assessment systems.