Data citation is central to our understanding of the use of data in our collection, within and beyond academia and where we can also begin to measure its impact by finding ways to derive evidence of reach and significance, as well as of relevance. We are also developing a focus on understanding the specific beneficial effect, rather than simply that data hong kong rcs data were used in an output, that is – as it appears in policy, debate or the evidential process (although important). Early thoughts in developing this process are where (ideally) cited data can be tracked through the specific beneficial outcome and on to an evidenced effect, corroborated by the end user:
Those familiar with the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 will recognise some of the language in the above table from the definition of impact in that exercise. Although data citation was not a directly incentivised element of the REF 2014, a search through HEFCE’s excellent database of nearly 7000 impact case studies shows that data featured widely, one example is University College London’s Jenny Mindell using the Health Survey for England to inform public policy on obesity.