
Our impact
We launched Real Impact to help our research communities see the impact of their work. Read more about our manifesto for change and how we demonstrate our commitment to impact through our research, products and our Real Impact Awards.

Real Impact
Research that has real world impact goes beyond citation counts and makes a difference. It’s about communities joining together to find solutions that result in positive change. We refer to impact as the provable effects of research in the real world. We appreciate it’s not always easy for academics and researchers to see the impact of their work. That’s why we’ve launched ‘Real Impact’ to aid the cause and call on research communities to come together and break down barriers.
Committed to creating real impact
Sustainable Development Goals
We publish research that challenges conventional thinking and delivers real impact in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Explore our content in these key areas.
Transparent, accessible products
We are committed to offering transparent, accessible products that ensures the right content goes to the right people, at the right time.
Supporting all forms of open research
We are passionate about supporting all forms of open research and aim to make research more discoverable and accessible to all.
Impact resources
What counts as impact?
The word impact is used in many ways across the national and international research sector. For Emerald, and for many key partners, impact is the provable effects of research in the real world.
Institutional Healthcheck Workbook
This workbook is designed to help institutions consider how ‘healthy’ they are in terms of supporting and generating impact, and identify how they can improve it.
Impact Literacy Workbook
This workbook is designed to help individuals think through some of the key aspects of impact and to help develop skills in impact planning.
Demonstrating the real impact of research
We believe our role is to help researchers tell their story in a more meaningful way. Read some examples of the true impact of research in the real world.

Real Impact is reducing environmental impacts in the tourism industry
The rise of travel during the last six decades has increased employment and boosted GDP, but the effect on the environment has been catastrophic.

Real Impact is helping disadvantaged groups access fresh, local food
Our global food system is broken and, without change, it will continue to negatively impact health, trade, the economy and the environment.

Real Impact is protecting children across the digital universe
As young people spend more unsupervised time online, their risk of encountering inappropriate content and cyberbullying has increased.

Real Impact is improving prospects for young girls in rural communities
In India, where men dominate, the promised land of gender equality is hard enough in cities, let alone rural areas.
Real Impact Awards
Our Real Impact Awards celebrate the commitment to impact by the research community across the globe.

Real Impact Advisory Board
Implemented in 2018, Emerald’s Impact Advisory Board was established to support the research community and help us play a key role in furthering the impact agenda. The Impact Advisory Board works to bring our communities together and break down the barriers to real-world change.
The Impact Advisory Board includes representatives from all areas of the research community, who contribute their understanding and perspectives to foster diverse and varying discussions on the impact debate.
Real impact blog
We believe everyone can make a real impact – read our blogs or join our conversations and help bring your research to life. Together we can make a difference.
Building trust through mutual understanding
In his blog, James Kahan presents his definition of trust, outlines the importance of trust in his recent research on knowledge creation and bounce…
18th May 2023
Restructuring universities, EDI and conformity: a view from comparative distance
Opinion piece authored by Terri Kim, discussing restructuring universities, EDI and conformity: a view from comparative distance.
3rd May 2023
Facilitating undergraduate research methods learning and teaching among political science students
Mr. Adrian LAM Man-Ho discusses facilitating undergraduate research methods among Political Science Students.
20th April 2023
Fostering diversity: insights from a journal editor
Fevzi Okumus, Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management and co-founding Editor of the Journal of…
13th April 2023
Challenges involved in early years teaching provision in the UK
Early years educators are vital professionals for quality education and care for all children, yet they are the worst-paid workforce due to under…
17th March 2023
Interview: Transnational collaboration for quality education: Sino-UK partnerships
Huili Si (Stella) is a doctoral researcher at The Manchester Institute of Education. Stella’s research directly addresses the themes of the…
16th March 2023
The health and wellbeing benefits of practicing self-compassion
Self-compassion it not a new concept; it has been embedded in Buddhist philosophy and meditation and practiced for over 2500 years. However, during…
8th March 2023
Health and wellbeing amongst people experiencing multiple disadvantage – reflections from the Fulfilling Lives programme
When we think about ‘healthier lives’, several things come to mind: physical activity, good mental health, a nutritious diet, getting plenty of sleep…
8th March 2023
Convergence in the English and French education systems: Vive la difference!
Peter Wolstencroft, Elizabeth Whitfield, Track Dinning discuss the French education system and how it is based around a number of key principles.
8th March 2023
Trust in leader-follower relationships
Find out everything you need to know about the subject of trust, what the current research covers, and the areas we'd love to see more research from…
8th March 2023
We are proud to drive positive change. We aim to deliver real impact. We care about doing the right things to build a better, more sustainable future for all.
Related topics
Our stance
Whether it’s the future of research assessment, open access or finding new ways make research be more accessible & discoverable, we want to influence positive change.
Our commitment
Being a responsible business is at the heart of everything we do. We believe in taking responsibility and working collaboratively with our partners, communities and colleagues to make a positive impact on a local and global scale.