Evaluating societal relevance of research

Scientific research is performed to elucidate how the world around us is functioning. One dimension of the acquired knowledge is that it can be used to develop various sectors of society such as industry, education, governmental practices, the health system or social cohesion. A main characteristic of the so-called societal relevance of research is therefore the quest towards answering questions that society asks or to solve problems it faces. Even though modern societies highly depend on scientific research it is highly disputable how the societal relevance of academic research can (A) be measured and (B) improved. In this review these two aspects are discussed by means of existing literature. In addition and in order to further highlight recent developments new research is done on how different universities have adapted to an increasing “relevance demand” and how communication via social media could become a practical means of science communication. This work therefore intends to be an overview about recent developments and how societal relevance could be formulated in a more robust way in the future by academic institutions