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Research Output

Reasons for Dissemination of Research
Confirm and validate research findings Time-stamp for documenting research findings Build upon existing knowledge base Inform scientists of updated research findings Generate further research Report to industry of findings that could lead to useful clinical applications Inform the community of potential new health interventions Share with clinical trial participants the results of research in which they participated Inform policy-makers of findings in order to effect change in health care policy and practice

Reasons for Dissemination of Research

Confirm and validate research findings
Time-stamp for documenting research findings
Build upon existing knowledge base
Inform scientists of updated research findings
Generate further research
Report to industry of findings that could lead to useful clinical applications
Inform the community of potential new health interventions
Share with clinical trial participants the results of research in which they participated
Inform policy-makers of findings in order to effect change in health care policy and practice

Research outputs, such as data, are the products generated from basic (bench) or clinical biomedical research. Outputs also include the means of discussing, interpreting, and disseminating the findings of a research study, such as journal publications. There are a number of ways to quantify and document research output.

A research study, bench or clinical, can generate a variety of outputs that are disseminated in different ways. The forms of outputs generated by a clinical study may differ from those generated by a bench study. The means of disseminating research findings will differ between study types as well.

Indicators of research output (and some examples) that can be quantified and documented include:

Indicators of Research Output	Examples of Research Output
Biological Materials	Biological therapy Delivery mechanisms Genetic tests Sequences for biological materials Personalized medicine applications Cell lines
Conference Materials	Conference abstracts (papers or posters) Panel discussions
Databases/Software/Algorithms	Database (in-house) for analysis of data sets Software application for RNA Sequence analysis Algorithm for biomedical imaging
License Agreements	License agreement executed for intellectual property (software application, cell line, etc.)
Measurement Instruments	Questionnaire Index Measure Risk Calculator Inventory Manual
Media Releases	News releases issued by research study or affiliate institution
Medical Devices	Expendable and nonexpendable equipment Supplies Apparatus Instruments Diagnostics
Outreach Visits	Research investigators discuss or present research findings for a group
Patents	Patent application filed (imaging process, drug, etc.)
Pharmaceutical Preparations	Drugs intended for human or veterinary use
Publications	Peer-reviewed journal articles Technical reports Books Book chapters Supplemental materials (slides of presentations, specimens, images, etc.) Non peer-reviewed articles
Research Data (public or restricted)	Data sets Completed questionnaires Recorded observations
Website of Research Study	Clinical trial study website Laboratory website

Each Indicator page as noted above includes:

Evidence of output
Definition of the indicator
Discussion of the indicator, including examples when applicable
Assessment/tracking of the indicator
Resources and guidance for assessment of the indicator

There are also non-traditional ways of disseminating the output of a research study. Web 2.0 applications such as a blogs, wikis, or podcasts are examples of novel ways research investigators are disseminating information about their research findings. For purposes of this project, Web 2.0 forms of dissemination were not included in the Becker model but they are noted in Strategies for Enhancing the Impact of Research.

Last updated: April 27, 2009