Exploring research impact; why it matters?

Purpose of review Making research impactful is becoming a vital part of research proposal development. Funding bodies now require evidence of clear dissemination strategies that demonstrate achievable broad impact from proposed studies. This review addresses what impact means in practice and how to achieve it. Recent findings Research impact is defined as making real change in the real world. The review explores different kinds of impact, why it is important, the challenges faced, and planning for impact. Creative ways in which impact may be achieved, specifically through storytelling, utilizing infographics and animations are explored. The impact of social media platforms to maximize reach of potential research, alongside measuring impact is discussed. Researchers may need to develop new skills, to create impactful research outputs for global dissemination across several social media platforms. By utilizing methods that maximize engagement with target audiences, translating and implementing quality evidence into clinical practice may be achieved more rapidly.