By focusing on outputs, rather than people, we misunderstand the real impact of research.

Arguing that science policy remains shaped by enduring ideas of linear knowledge transfer from research to society, Paul Nightingale and Rebecca Vine, propose that research impact in contemporary service economies lies predominantly within the application of human expertise to complex problems. By focusing on researchers, rather than research, they suggest research systems would be better positioned to appreciate the multifaceted ways in which fields of research, such as the social sciences, impact society.