However, I think it’s always worth having an impact plan at the outset, certainly thinking about the engagements that are possible, about the connections and the partnerships etc. are all positives. But for the “blue sky” research, the saudi arabia rcs data research that isn’t necessarily tied into a specific goal because research can take interesting directions.
I think one thing I’d like to see more of, and this would be my tip, is citation. I think the more we use persistent identifiers in some of these spaces, the more effective it’s going to be to be able to ensure that people can find go back, look at the data and find how it is used and the impact it has. Data is a key output and is a real strength and I think that’s becoming a focus. So even code and methods, how are they offered to the wider ecosystem for reuse?
What unexpected impact have you seen in the past?
There are so many ways in which the UK Data Service data has changed things through its impact. Things like the national minimum wage, the impact of second-hand smoke in the UK, the development of indicators of poverty and class mobility, and the Lancet Countdown, making climate change a public health emergency.