Practice-based research: investigating research practices, outputs and impacts in Belgium-Flanders, Poland, and Switzerland

Our project explores Practice-Based Research (PBR), a form of scientific inquiry embedded in
professional settings like hospitals, schools, and companies, bridging scientific knowledge with realworld
problem-solving. Despite its potential for socially impactful knowledge, little is known about its
conduct, publication, and contribution to professional growth. We aim to fill this gap by examining
research and publication practices and assessing the societal impact of PBR.
This international project, involving researchers from Poland, Switzerland, and Belgium-Flanders,
utilizes diverse data sources to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis and around 120
interviews across disciplines. Employing machine learning, we will analyze social impact descriptions
and identify various types of practice impact. Moreover, we will design a framework for registering
non-traditional research outputs.
Our findings will be invaluable to science scholars, higher education researchers, and science policy
experts. Beyond enhancing our understanding of scientific practices, the project will offer insights for
advancing both research evaluation theory and policy-making.