The impact of academic events—A literature review

Demands on publicly funded scientific research to yield academic and societal impact have been commonplace for some time. Research communities, university administrators, and policy-makers are looking to impact assessments and impact tool kits to better communicate the value of scholarly work, increase collaboration with nonacademic partners, and achieve a broad range of socio-economic benefits. Impact assessment frameworks are occupied with documenting the effects of science on a large number of variables. However, the participation and hosting of academic events have not been included in most frameworks. In this scoping review, we demonstrate that academic events are an important vehicle for academic and societal value creation. The review presents the main trends in the literature by categorizing the impact of academic events into four analytical categories and 11 subcategories. By hosting and participating in academic events, scholars maximize the uptake and circulation of research findings as well as promote knowledge-sharing and agenda-setting with potential impact on the academic community and society at large. Most of the reviewed studies focus on clinical research and computer science. However, the review also demonstrates that the impact of academic events is currently underexplored. This review provides a first step toward a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of academic events.