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Professor David Nash defines blasphemy as the `attacking, wounding and damaging of religious beliefs'. His research into the history of blasphemy has been widely consulted and has highlighted the significant importance of the subject in the contemporary world. This has led to the re- examining of the law and arguments for repeal. He has been pro-actively involved in the debate about blasphemy repeal in England for some time prior to 2008 and also as an active consultant in the Irish Republic, advising NGO's and speaking on their behalf to members of Parliament, international bodies after this date. He also liaised with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion and was nominated to sit on the Irish Government's constitutional convention to consider the matter.
The impact that pertains to this case study is located in three domains. Firstly, lay engagement with the understanding and appreciation of ecclesiastical history via public lectures. Secondly, informing understanding about the historical, theological and philosophical processes attached to the discipline of ecclesiastical history through expert comments in the mass media. Thirdly, through the organisation of conferences leading to the development of international societies, international partnerships, and engagement with the general public and dissemination of original research.
The research has vastly extended the range and improved the quality of evidence pertaining to pauper lives in Britain the early modern era. Through conserving, contextualising and presenting this cultural heritage in an accessible form, vast amounts of information on pauper's lives are widely and quickly available to interested users, some of whom previously had little or no access to this data. Beneficiaries include the general public, professionals and academics worldwide.
Home's continuing research on planning and accommodation for Gypsies/Travellers originated as far back as 1980, and contributed key evidence to the Parliamentary Committee in 2004 leading to a statutory requirement on local authorities to undertake local Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Assessments (GTAAs). The research-based methodology pioneered in the Cambridge sub-region GTAA has become best practice for GTAAs in the current REF period, and in 2011 media coverage of the high-profile Dale Farm evictions drew upon his research through media contributions by him (in TV, radio and newspapers).
Stefan Collini's research on the character of universities and their relations to their host societies has had a major impact on public discourse in Britain. Grounded in historical evidence concerning the growth of institutions and disciplines, and on the ways public debate about the functions of universities has evolved since the mid-nineteenth century, it has influenced political argument about legislation, the content of reporting on higher education, and public understanding of universities more generally. There is extensive evidence for the uptake of these ideas in documents produced by public bodies, citations in the media, and other published reports on policy debates.
Chang's research has covered a wide range of public policy, including industrial policy, trade policy, privatisation, and agricultural policy, as well as theories of state intervention. By successfully challenging the then prevailing orthodoxy on economic development, his research has had significant influence on the actions of many national governments, multilateral institutions (e.g., the UN, the World Bank) and NGOs (e.g., Oxfam). Chang's research has also had substantial impact on public debate concerning economic policies, especially but not exclusively those regarding development issues. He has had two best-selling mass-market books (together sold 1.15 million copies as of December 2012) and gained worldwide media exposure for his views.
Since 1948, Leicester historians have transformed the way we look at the past by pioneering new methodologies centred on Local History. In the last two decades, this "Leicester Approach" has reconnected history to ordinary people, involving them in historical research and showing in practical ways the relationship between history and local communities. This case-study highlights the public impact of Leicester's latest research projects, which have systematically empowered local communities to explore, understand and enjoy their family, regional and cultural histories. In a fast-moving, migratory world, the projects enhance public awareness of a shared past, boost local place attachment, and foster cultural understanding and cohesion.
Research carried out by Dr Margaret Yates at the University of Reading has enhanced understanding of the social and economic history of the late medieval and early modern periods and the standards of living of those of middling or low social status. In particular, the findings and methodology of her work on the houses of these classes has been of major benefit to the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum (WDOAM), which specialises in the preservation of historic vernacular buildings. Through an innovative Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the University, the WDOAM has used Yates' ground-breaking research to explore the history of the houses in their care and to present the past to the public in engaging, enjoyable, informative and interactive ways. As a result, the visitor experience offered by WDOAM has been greatly enhanced and visitor numbers increased at a time of competitive pressures in the regional heritage industry.
Paul McHugh's academic research on the legal status and rights of tribal peoples in Australasia and North America has had a direct impact on legal decisions on tribal land rights; on the political management as well as settlement of land claims in those jurisdictions; and has influenced the evolving legal systems and political developments in these matters in New Zealand, Australia and Canada. His work has contributed significantly to a fundamental shift in the legal and constitutional foundations of government relations with the indigenous peoples and to the political and economic consequences of that shift.
The Warwick Network for Parish Research (WNPR) was established in 2003 to facilitate public participation in the making of history, specifically the production of new historical knowledge about parishes from the Middle Ages to the present. Parishes were fundamental units of governance, worship, and everyday life across Europe for over a thousand years, and the primary resources for family and community historians are archived by their parish of generation (in 2010/11 5% of the UK population visited a local record office, 60% of whom were researching family history). WNPR has helped formulate the place of locality in a globalising world and is a point of connection between independent researchers, local history societies, archivists and university-based scholars. It has supported non-academic historians in exploring their communities past and present, built capacity for independent research and writing, and encouraged local historians to contextualise their findings through engagement with wider historical debates. Impact has been achieved in three principal ways: