The Importance of Inclusive Language
Many terms such as “Creative Inquiry” and “Creative Activities” are used across the university to describe activities in the Arts. When they are added on to the term “research” the implication is that they are not research.
As inaugural ADR in the CFA Ellen McMahon is advocating for the replacement of phrases “research and creative Inquiry” and “research and creative activity” with the phrase “research in all disciplines” in university communications to recognize research in the arts.
Office of Societal Impacts
Visit the Office of Societal Impacts website.
Many CFA/Arizona Arts researcher contacted Jill M. Williams, who is creating a database of societal impact for the Office of Societal Impacts which to facilitate their work in creating a more inclusive framework.
Societal Impact information and video
The University uses the term societal impact to refer to the ways in which research and/or the process of conducting research influences the world beyond the academic realm. The recently formed UA Office of Societal Impact is creating a database of societal impact to facilitate their work in creating a more inclusive framework.
Knowing that this concept may be new to many people, they have created a short video that explains societal impacts and provides some categories of societal impacts that may be useful.
Some examples of ways in which your research is impactful beyond academia.
- Instrumental impacts: Your research has or will lead to tangible changes to plans, decisions, practices, or policies
- Conceptual impacts: your research contributes to changes in people’s knowledge about or awareness of an issue
- Capacity building impacts: your research contributes to enhancing the skills, expertise, or resources of an organization or group of people
- Connectivity impacts: your research has or will lead to new or strengthened relationships, partnerships or networks that endure after the project ends
- Societal or environmental impacts: the project leads to social or environmental changes such as improved human or ecosystem health
- Impact not listed. You will be prompted to explain in the next question.
Undergraduate Research Task Force (Faculty sub-Committee) – Current Practices Inventory
The University is in the process of scaling up Undergraduate Research. Because there were so many strong examples submitted to the Current Practices Inventory, the Arts are seen as a significant contributor to the intuitive. There will be incentives to identify and increase Undergraduate Research both outside and within courses.