Linking Research to Societal Benefits: Application of a Logic Model Relating Tornado Research to Lives Saved

Scientific research can provide positive benefits to society, from improved weather forecasts that save lives, to emerging technologies that help fishermen increase their yields. However, directly linking research products to societal benefits has proven challenging. Common measures of research outputs, such as publications, fall short of identifying societal benefits. In order to shape, plan, and evaluate how research is conducted, it is important to understand the relationships between research inputs, research outputs, and societal outcomes. In this study, we apply a logic model to examine the link between tornado research and lives saved. Logic models provide a means for expressing causal relationships by linking research outputs (peer reviewed, scientific publications) that provide research inputs (tornado warning forecast improvements) to societal outcomes (number of lives saved). Using this model, we find an increased focus in the social sciences may lead to a greater number of lives saved. Understanding the relationship between research outputs and outcomes is a useful tool to identify future areas of research investments that might further achieve societal benefits. Ultimately, improving the traceability of research outputs to societal outcomes can help focus and direct research to areas likely to provide the largest impact.