Summary of the impact

More than a decade's research at the University of Leeds has focused on a cohesive set of issues bearing directly and indirectly on ethics in the workplace: reasons for action, moral psychology, good judgement, character and integrity. The impact of this work covers: consultancy on organisational ethics; development and delivery of CPD for engineers; use of web-based and online materials to engage professionals in ethical reasoning; applied research and engagement with practitioners on integrity at work; a submission to the Leveson enquiry; and an ethics template for the National Nuclear Laboratory. Its significance and reach in embedding ethics in professional life is demonstrated by the range of these activities and the size of the organisations involved.

Summary of the impact

Research directed by Andy Friedman (Management), has had impact through the Professional Associations Research Network (PARN) which was established at the University in 1998. This encouraged professional bodies to adopt:

a) new governance structures and processes facilitating strategic decision-making;

b) CPD policies, to make them mandatory and measure them by outputs, thereby raising competency and evidence for it among millions of professionals.

Early adopters from 2001 contributed to benchmark data produced through PARN, adding to the subsequent research impact by encouraging further adopters. For post-2008 impacts and adopters see sources [b], [c], [d], [f], [j] for governance changes and [c], [h], [i].for CPD.

Summary of the impact

Loughborough University research into the threats and opportunities presented by the growth of shared service centres has directly influenced the strategies and practices of a wide range of organisations confronted by changes in the provision of business support services. It has influenced the educational policy of the world's largest professional body of its kind, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, which has acknowledged the work as "an exemplar" that has had a "profound effect" on the industry. Through a pioneering forum for sharing business knowledge, it has also helped to shape the working methods of global companies, including Rolls-Royce, national organisations, including the Post Office, and numerous SMEs and new firms.

Summary of the impact

Within the field of `computer ethics', considerations of the design processes required for software development has remained relatively neglected until the foundational work of Dr Penny Duquenoy under the direction of Prof. Harold Thimbleby helped introduce and establish the need for such concerns. The impact of the embedding of ethics in technology is observable by noting the routine use of ethics expert reviewers and evaluators and on Advisory Boards in EU funded projects since 2007. This has been replicated by the EPSRC who also now include input from ethics experts into their programmes such as the RCUK `Global Uncertainties' initiative. At a professional level, ethics has also become a core consideration for the British Computer Society and its representations to the community it serves.

Summary of the impact

Widdows has shaped policy-making in areas of genetic ethics and especially biobanking. She has had impact:

• As a full member of the Ethics and Governance Council (EGC) of UK Biobank (UKB)
• As a key member of the IP and Access Sub-Group of the EGC
• As a keynote speaker at the 2013 World Medical Association Conference feeding into the redrafting of the Declaration of Helsinki (the code governing research globally)

In these arenas her work on consent, trust and genetic governance has shaped understandings of genetic ethics, which has created new policy:

• Nationally in the development of the policies and processes of UKB (especially with regard to understandings of consent and trust)
• Internationally, as the processes and lessons of UKB are taken up by other biobanks — demonstrated by the interest in UKB as the first of its kind from international consortia (such as the P3G — Public Population Project in Genetics).
• Internationally, in her impact on the revision of the Declaration of Helsinki in the explicit mention of biobanks in the current draft.

Summary of the impact

Departmental research identifying skills, knowledge and competency frameworks is used by a range of Governments and professional associations internationally to inform and improve contemporary information service provision and professional practice.

The development of robust frameworks and methodologies has resulted in a maturing knowledge and skills base for the information profession. Research on competencies contributed directly to the future education and training framework for the Australian library and information profession. The design and evaluation of Continuing Professional Development frameworks ensures that information and library professionals acquire and maintain the knowledge and skills required to deliver quality information to industry, the public and society as a whole.