Changing the Culture: An Ongoing Experiment to Increase Scientific Impact

This is not just about publishing more — it’s about rethinking how we share, translate, and connect scientific results to real-world change. It’s about building a new culture of visibility and relevance — one that encourages researchers to step into the public arena and proudly show their work.

This is the purpose of the Scientific Impact Communication Initiative: a collaborative, ongoing experiment to help researchers make their voices heard — in academia, in industry, and in society at large.

New Times, New Measures: Rethinking Scientific Impact

Scientific impact is often measured by citations — but what about real-world influence? Does the research inspire new collaborations? Influence policy? Spark change outside the lab?

As Sepideh Pashami, senior researcher, puts it: 

“We are stronger together... A lot of high-impact research in society comes from interdisciplinary work. I cannot do this as an AI researcher alone, and they cannot do it alone either. But we can easily work together to create something bigger.”

At RISE, this collaborative mindset is something we continually strive toward. But while the research is solid, the communication around it hasn’t always kept pace. The rapid speed of AI research in particular demands a cultural shift — one that ensures breakthroughs are not only achieved but understood, applied, and built upon, without waiting for the often slow pace of traditional academic publishing. That’s what this initiative sets out to change.

We Asked Some of the Best 

The Scientific Impact Communication Initiative is a three-year effort, supported by the Center for Applied AI at RISE. As we approach a point of reflection and consolidation, we’re summarizing insights and gathering momentum for what’s next.

To shape the initiative, the team engaged a focus group of leading researchers from Umeå University, Luleå University of Technology, Google, KTH, Uppsala University, and Ericsson Research – as well as invited speakers from Transactions on Machine Learning Research (TMLR), Nature Reviews Physics, The Alan Turing Institute, and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI). Their input has provided a rich foundation of knowledge and perspectives.

The project has explored several key areas that influence how research gains traction and makes a difference: how data sharing and tool development can increase accessibility; how multidisciplinary collaboration strengthens outcomes; how visibility and dissemination strategies connect research to audiences; and how to maintain integrity and avoid hype while amplifying impact.

These conversations and co-learning sessions have led to action — including the creation of a set of guidelines that help researchers move from “published” to seen, used, and understood.

“While these guidelines were shaped by the specific needs and evolving landscape of AI research, we believe they are also broadly relevant — and can be applied, at least in part, to many other research areas across RISE and beyond.” said Erdzan Hodzic, researcher.

Since resources are limited, researchers themselves need to get better at communicating beyond their traditional channels. That’s why, in addition to publishing guidelines, the team is also developing blueprints for how researchers can work with the organization’s available platforms like the ri.se blog Voices at RISE to reach a wider audience.

“It’s about changing the culture,” said Olof Mogren, senior researcher. “We need to be intentional about how our work connects — not only with other researchers, but with society at large. Scientific impact doesn’t happen in isolation.”

Guidelines to Strengthen Your Scientific Impact

As a concrete outcome of this initiative, the team has created a set of guidelines — a simple yet powerful reference to help researchers amplify the visibility and impact of their work:

• When publishing a paper — whether on arXiv or through a journal or conference — also consider publishing the underlying data and code. Platforms like GitHub, GitLab, Zenodo, and Papers with Code support transparency and increase reusability.

• To make your work more accessible, write a short summary in clear, engaging language. Publish it on a suitable platform, such as your organization's website or news section, and share it on social media like LinkedIn, Medium, YouTube, or Bluesky. For inspiration, check out Oxford’s tips on communicating your research.

• Reach out to your communications team to explore opportunities for inclusion in newsletters or feature articles and notify relevant research groups and networks by email to help spread the word.

• Make sure you’re listed as a contributor on your team’s shared Google Scholar profile — a small step that highlights collective impact.

“Many of the things that boost our scientific impact also boost visibility externally,” said Olof Mogren. “That’s why creating clear guidelines for scientific impact matters — it gives us a chance to be intentional about how we reach other researchers, and beyond.”

Beyond Citations — Real Impact, Real Visibility

There are many opportunities ahead. Increasing the visibility and perceived value of RISE’s research contributions is a key goal. Another lies in highlighting RISE’s unique strength in cross-disciplinary collaboration, which can foster innovative and far-reaching outcomes. In addition, equipping researchers with the tools and support they need to effectively communicate with public audiences is critical for broader societal engagement.

But there are also challenges to address. RISE is a broad organization, and only a small portion of its staff are focused specifically on AI. Researchers, while highly skilled in their domains, are not always trained communicators. Furthermore, the line between scientific and societal impact can often be blurred, making it difficult to craft messaging that is both clear and compelling.

At the same time, this initiative has uncovered significant strategic potential. The conversations, co-creations and expert input throughout the project point to a clear opportunity for RISE to take a thought leadership role in shaping the way scientific impact is communicated — not only within the field of AI but across research areas more broadly. 

This cultural shift is not just timely — it’s essential.

Want to know more or get involved? Reach out to any member of the project team at RISE — Olof Mogren, Erdzan Hodzic, or Sepideh Pashami — to continue the conversation.

Keep an eye out for the full set of scientific impact guidelines, to be shared before the end of the year. And don’t forget to explore Voices at RISE, where new blog posts on AI are regularly published!