The first step in planning for research impact is to identify the research need that you are seeking to address. This is often the first step when planning any research project, so this may be a process that is already familiar to you.

When you plan for impactful research, it is important to consider both who your research will affect and any evidence you have that this is a research need for the communities you are seeking to impact.

It can be helpful to follow a structured process when bringing this information together, as it will help to identify any areas where you may need to do some further background research.

Try to describe:

What the problem, issue, or gap is that your research is seeking to address
What contribution your research will have, and how it is different from other solutions or current knowledge
Any evidence of the problem

You can use the below tool to answer these questions. Leave placeholders for yourself in areas where you don't have the answer and want to find more information. Be specific with these placeholders: for example, you can leave notes like:

[Add references on the incidence of this disease in Aotearoa]

[Check the latest releases from the Beehive on this topic]

[Do an updated literature search to check for current trends]

Once you've finished using the tool, you can combine your answers from each fo the sections (click Combine and create document), which will create a single document you can download (click Export). You can then continue to work on identifying the research need, creating a robust case for your research.

Revisit your answers as you continue to research evidence of your research need, and fill in any gaps. Be as specific as possible, and include the sources of your information (such as publications).

Click through to the next page to define your (potential) impact by flipping the 'problem' on its head, or visit the Modules section of the course to learn more about another area.