Assessing Engaged Research: Rethinking the PhD
Doctoral research is changing. Increasingly, PhDs are co‑produced with communities, partners and practitioners, generating knowledge that is socially relevant, collaborative and impactful. But assessment systems haven’t kept pace.
This NCCPE briefing explores how we can bridge the gap, and create assessment approaches that truly reflect the values and realities of engaged research.
The challenge
Across the UK, engaged research is becoming an important part of doctoral education. Yet most PhDs are still assessed through a written thesis and a traditional viva, processes designed for individual, academic work.
This creates a mismatch between:
- What engaged research values (co‑production, reciprocity, shared knowledge)
- What assessment systems reward (individual originality and written output)
“Assessment practices remain aligned with traditional academic models, even as doctoral research becomes more collaborative, relational and socially embedded.”
What next?
The ideal future
- Multiple forms of output (not just a thesis)
- Diverse assessment panels, including practitioners
- Recognition of co‑production and shared knowledge
- Focus on process, relationships and impact
What can happen now
- Update assessment criteria to include engagement
- Involve partners in formative stages (e.g. mock vivas)
- Support reflective and portfolio‑based submissions
- Train supervisors and examiners in engaged research
Explore the full findings and recommendations
Download the full briefing to explore the evidence, insights and practical recommendations shaping the future of engaged research assessment.