Assessing the value of research in linguistics

This chapter explores specific criticisms of the impact agenda and the notion that academics should be able to demonstrate the impact of their work. Taking the standpoint that demonstrating impact is not an intrinsically bad thing to do, the chapter nonetheless explores the problems surrounding the demonstration and measurement of impact from linguistic research. Problems surrounding the assessment of impact are highlighted by reference to my work on the stylistics of subtitling. Ultimately, I argue that the REF view of impact is unhelpfully narrow and that a more realistic view is needed of the process by which theoretical work comes to have practical applications.