A Practical Framework for Academics to Implement Public Engagement Interventions and Measure Their Impact

Isolde Martina Busch, Silvia Savazzi, Giuseppe Bertini, Paola Cesari, Olivia Guaraldo, Michela Nosè, Corrado Barbui and Michela Rimondini ()
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Isolde Martina Busch: Section of Clinical Psychology, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Silvia Savazzi: Perception and Awareness Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Giuseppe Bertini: Section of Anatomy and Histology, Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine, and Movement Science, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Paola Cesari: Section of Movement Sciences, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Olivia Guaraldo: Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, 37129 Verona, Italy
Michela Nosè: Section of Psychiatry, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Corrado Barbui: Section of Psychiatry, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy
Michela Rimondini: Section of Clinical Psychology, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-17

Abstract: Academic institutions have shown an increased interest in the so-called third mission to offer an impactful contribution to society. Indeed, public engagement programs ensure knowledge transfer and help to inspire positive public discourse. We aimed to propose a comprehensive framework for academic institutions planning to implement a public engagement intervention and to suggest potential indicators to measure its impact. To inform the framework development, we searched the literature on public engagement, the third mission, and design theory in electronic databases and additional sources (e.g., academic recommendations) and partnered with a communication agency offering non-academic advice. In line with this framework, we designed a public engagement intervention to foster scientific literacy in Italian youth, actively involving them in the development of the intervention. Our framework is composed of four phases (planning/design, implementation, immediate impact assessment, and medium- and long-term assessment). Impact indicators were subdivided into outcome variables that were immediately describable (e.g., changed understanding and awareness of the target population) and measurable only in the medium or long run (e.g., adoption of the intervention by other institutions). The framework is expected to maximize the impact of public engagement interventions and ultimately lead to better reciprocal listening and mutual understanding between academia and the public.

Keywords: public engagement; third mission; knowledge transfer; co-creation; research impact; implementation science; framework; critical thinking; scientific literacy; public understanding of science (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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