Impact Assessment: Internally conducted or externalised? Miguel Carrasco. Fundación Descubre
Who we are • Fundación Descubre coordinates the event in Andalusia, a Spanish region with a population of eight million people. • ‘Open Researchers’ includes the participation of 16 centres belonging to 13 different institutions: – Fundación Descubre as coordinators. – Nine Andalusian public universities (Almería, Cádiz, Córdoba, Granada, Huelva, Jaén, Málaga, Sevilla and Pablo de Olavide). – Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) – Andalusian Progress and Health Foundation – Royal Botanic Garden of Córdoba
Where we do it
What we do
What about the WP3 • Institute of Advanced Social Studies (IESA-CSIC) started to work with the consortium as partner of the project (it is a center of the Spanish National Research Council, CSIC) in 2014. • Since that moment, IESA-CSIC carries out the responsibility of the WP3. • IESA-CSIC is a public scientific research institute of social research specialized in the rigorous examination of the social structure and the processes of change in the contemporary societies.
How we do it • IESA-CSIC has the aim of measuring the impact of the event and improving the European Researchers’ Night in Andalusia. • In order to assess the impact of the event and to analyze the public perception of the Night, both qualitative and quantitative indicators have been taken into account. • The consortium has sent questionnaires not only to the audience, but also to the researchers who participated in the European Researchers’ Night. We are interested in getting to know their point of view in order to improve the event’s planning in future years.
How we do it • The quantitative data were gathered with the help of an online form created by IESA and used by the person that had to do the attendance count in each city: • In the activities carried out in research centers or public institutions, the attendees were counted by the organizers. • In the activities celebrated in the street , IESA told all the partners: • To use the delivery of promotional materia l (programs, stickers and postcards), in order to calculate the attendance. • To count the number of people passing through a point and multiplying by the total time. • To take photographs and videos at different times of the activity .
How we do it • The qualitative data were gathered: • Giving cards for the participants in the activities. • Sending a digital questionnaire to the attendees who provided an email address in the card. • Sending digital questionnaires to the attendees who had previously registered on the website to take part in some activities.
How we do it • A limited number of variables have been introduced in the questionnaires with the following themes: • Socio-demographic aspects: age, genre, level of education. • Aspects related to people’s attendance at the activity: planning, reasons for attending, etc. • Opinions about the European Researchers’ Night and the activities: preferences, level of satisfaction, etc.
Why we do it • ‘Open Researchers’ project is an excellent opportunity to know the perception of the public about science and dissemination. • The impact assessment report can be the basis to develop the dissemination barometer in Andalusia from direct contact with citizens. • The questionnaires included some new questions in order to assess perceptions about scientific dissemination of both publics (attendees and researchers). • The new indicators were agreed with the other European Researchers’ Night in Spain, organized in Madrid .
What to do with it • The consortium has developed a joint document from the impact assessment report, in order to make an internal evaluation to improve the event in 2017. • Our Night is called ‘Open Researchers’, so we defend open data: the document is available on the website . • But also to use the data obtained to raise awareness of the importance of knowing and recognizing the work of the Andalusian researchers. • As the final step, the barometer allows the public dissemination of data through mass media, social media networks, Scientix and other projects related to disclosure...
Conclusions • The WP3 is the main task of IESA in the European project. • IESA-CSIC is a project partner as part of CSIC, so the institution is really involved and takes part in every step of the project. • They have sufficient experience in the field of social studies. It is the center responsible for the official sociological studies of the region of Andalusia. • It is a public center, so they have to do a more open and accessible work for society. • It carries out a task that, if outsourced, would require an economic cost.
Thank you lanochedelosinvestigadores.fundaciondescubre.es
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