Enabling Societal Impact of Research: Exploring Information Behaviors of Academics and Professional Staff.

There are increasing expectations, globally, that academic research provides tangible and demonstrable benefits to society. Embedding societal impact as part of research culture and practice represents a shift in how universities function; however, limited research has been conducted on the role of universities in supporting and enabling work involved in enabling societal impact of research (or impact work). This study uses a holistic, exploratory study design, with Constructivist Grounded Theory as the overarching framework, to explore the experiences, information behaviors and information environments of academic and professional staff undertaking impact work. Preliminary results indicate that academics' information behaviors relating to impact work are enacted within relationships with industry, community, and government partners, which are characterized by curiosity, reciprocity, trust, and engagement. Findings from this research will contribute new perspectives on academic information behavior and inform how universities provide support through professional services, training, and information resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]