Table 1. Logic model for the... | Emerald Publishing

Table 1.

Logic model for the Mission-Aligned Research Framework

Logic model for the Mission-Aligned Research Framework
Goal	Inputs	Activities	Outputs	Immediate outcome	Intermediate outcome	Long-term impact
Step 1: Examining the school’s mission for relevance and impact	Administrative leadership Faculty and staff Strategic planning committee Existing mission statement Institutional history Stakeholder perspectives	Convene strategic planning sessions Facilitate faculty and staff dialogue Evaluate mission alignment with the university Conduct institutional archival review Gather stakeholder input Co-develop a revised mission statement	Revised school mission statement Identified alignment gaps Synthesized stakeholder feedback	Shared understanding of institutional purpose, school priorities and mission alignment	The mission actively informs decisions related to research, curriculum and community or stakeholder engagement	School identity demonstrably aligned with and contributing to broader educational, social and institutional goals
Step 2: Prioritizing Mission-Aligned Research Themes	Revised school mission statement Faculty disciplinary expertise Institutional and societal needs and priorities Cross-department dialogue	Identify shared research priorities Map interdisciplinary intersections Facilitate collaborative theme development Formalize mission-aligned research areas	Defined thematic research clusters Published research focus statement Shared faculty research agenda	Faculty understand how individual scholarship connects to collective mission priorities	Increased interdisciplinary collaboration and growth in mission-aligned research proposals	Established scholarly identity grounded in mission alignment and contributing to institutional and societal advancement
Step 3: Structuring and communicating research expectations with purpose	Research focus statement Faculty evaluation processes Governance structures Commitment to academic autonomy	Establish guidelines and criteria for Mission-Aligned Scholarship Integrate expectations into review cycles Communicate research value beyond productivity metrics Reinforce faculty autonomy and scholarly choice	Updated review and evaluation language Communicated expectations for mission alignment Shared understanding of research purpose	Faculty understand expectations and the developmental intent of mission-aligned research	Research portfolios increasingly reflect both disciplinary contribution and mission relevance	Mission-aligned scholarship becomes a normalized and valued dimension of faculty research activity across the institution
Step 4: Developing structural supports for mission-aligned research	Institutional research funding Scholarly activities committee or comparable support body Dean-level or administrative support External stakeholder relationships Community, industry or organizational partners Research dissemination platforms	Provide low-barrier access to research funding Facilitate peer feedback through internal support structures Launch mission-centered research convenings Strengthen community research partnerships Support dissemination through sponsored events and outlets	Funded faculty research initiatives Structured peer collaboration cycles Annual research convening or conference Formalized community research partnerships	Increased faculty capacity and resources to launch and sustain mission-aligned research	Growth in engaged, collaborative, mission-aligned research activity	Sustainable institutional infrastructure embedding mission-aligned research into the scholarly identity and practice of the school
Step 5: Conducting mission-aligned research	Faculty disciplinary expertise Secured funding Partnerships with community, industry or organizational stakeholders Institutional research supports	Conduct research and scholarly projects that advance the school’s mission Produce mission-informed studies that address organizational, community, disciplinary or societal needs Generate practitioner-relevant insights Integrate mission-aligned findings into teaching, institutional dialogue and strategic planning	Scholarly articles Mission-informed research reports Applied or conceptual case studies Tools, resources or models grounded in mission priorities Practitioner-facing insights	Increased production of academically rigorous, mission-aligned research	Research findings inform organizational practices, institutional initiatives and teaching and learning experiences	Enhanced institutional impact, improved decision-making among partners and broader societal benefit through sustained mission-aligned scholarship
Step 6: Measuring the social impact of mission-aligned research	Mission-aligned faculty scholarship Institutional research tracking systems Community, industry and organizational partners	Distinguish academic impact from social impact Review mission-aligned scholarship for rigor, relevance and mission alignment Track-sustained mission-aligned research as an early proxy for social impact Gather stakeholder feedback on the usefulness and applicability of research Share impact findings with internal and external audiences Use results to guide planning, resource decisions and faculty development Develop long-term social impact indicators	Annual summaries of mission-aligned research Published social impact reports	Greater faculty understanding of academic vs. social impact Increased stakeholder interest in early findings	Faculty view research as a developmental process that enhances expertise, teaching and engagement Research informs organizational practice, community initiatives or policy discussions Strengthened and sustained partnerships •Adoption and regular use of long-term social impact indicators	Demonstrable social impact through research that addresses community or societal challenges Adoption of research-informed policies, programs or practices Measurable improvements in organizational or community conditions A durable culture of mission-aligned scholarship that advances institutional and regional goals

Logic model for the Mission-Aligned Research Framework
Goal	Inputs	Activities	Outputs	Immediate outcome	Intermediate outcome	Long-term impact
Step 1: Examining the school’s mission for relevance and impact	Administrative leadership Faculty and staff Strategic planning committee Existing mission statement Institutional history Stakeholder perspectives	Convene strategic planning sessions Facilitate faculty and staff dialogue Evaluate mission alignment with the university Conduct institutional archival review Gather stakeholder input Co-develop a revised mission statement	Revised school mission statement Identified alignment gaps Synthesized stakeholder feedback	Shared understanding of institutional purpose, school priorities and mission alignment	The mission actively informs decisions related to research, curriculum and community or stakeholder engagement	School identity demonstrably aligned with and contributing to broader educational, social and institutional goals
Step 2: Prioritizing Mission-Aligned Research Themes	Revised school mission statement Faculty disciplinary expertise Institutional and societal needs and priorities Cross-department dialogue	Identify shared research priorities Map interdisciplinary intersections Facilitate collaborative theme development Formalize mission-aligned research areas	Defined thematic research clusters Published research focus statement Shared faculty research agenda	Faculty understand how individual scholarship connects to collective mission priorities	Increased interdisciplinary collaboration and growth in mission-aligned research proposals	Established scholarly identity grounded in mission alignment and contributing to institutional and societal advancement
Step 3: Structuring and communicating research expectations with purpose	Research focus statement Faculty evaluation processes Governance structures Commitment to academic autonomy	Establish guidelines and criteria for Mission-Aligned Scholarship Integrate expectations into review cycles Communicate research value beyond productivity metrics Reinforce faculty autonomy and scholarly choice	Updated review and evaluation language Communicated expectations for mission alignment Shared understanding of research purpose	Faculty understand expectations and the developmental intent of mission-aligned research	Research portfolios increasingly reflect both disciplinary contribution and mission relevance	Mission-aligned scholarship becomes a normalized and valued dimension of faculty research activity across the institution
Step 4: Developing structural supports for mission-aligned research	Institutional research funding Scholarly activities committee or comparable support body Dean-level or administrative support External stakeholder relationships Community, industry or organizational partners Research dissemination platforms	Provide low-barrier access to research funding Facilitate peer feedback through internal support structures Launch mission-centered research convenings Strengthen community research partnerships Support dissemination through sponsored events and outlets	Funded faculty research initiatives Structured peer collaboration cycles Annual research convening or conference Formalized community research partnerships	Increased faculty capacity and resources to launch and sustain mission-aligned research	Growth in engaged, collaborative, mission-aligned research activity	Sustainable institutional infrastructure embedding mission-aligned research into the scholarly identity and practice of the school
Step 5: Conducting mission-aligned research	Faculty disciplinary expertise Secured funding Partnerships with community, industry or organizational stakeholders Institutional research supports	Conduct research and scholarly projects that advance the school’s mission Produce mission-informed studies that address organizational, community, disciplinary or societal needs Generate practitioner-relevant insights Integrate mission-aligned findings into teaching, institutional dialogue and strategic planning	Scholarly articles Mission-informed research reports Applied or conceptual case studies Tools, resources or models grounded in mission priorities Practitioner-facing insights	Increased production of academically rigorous, mission-aligned research	Research findings inform organizational practices, institutional initiatives and teaching and learning experiences	Enhanced institutional impact, improved decision-making among partners and broader societal benefit through sustained mission-aligned scholarship
Step 6: Measuring the social impact of mission-aligned research	Mission-aligned faculty scholarship Institutional research tracking systems Community, industry and organizational partners	Distinguish academic impact from social impact Review mission-aligned scholarship for rigor, relevance and mission alignment Track-sustained mission-aligned research as an early proxy for social impact Gather stakeholder feedback on the usefulness and applicability of research Share impact findings with internal and external audiences Use results to guide planning, resource decisions and faculty development Develop long-term social impact indicators	Annual summaries of mission-aligned research Published social impact reports	Greater faculty understanding of academic vs. social impact Increased stakeholder interest in early findings	Faculty view research as a developmental process that enhances expertise, teaching and engagement Research informs organizational practice, community initiatives or policy discussions Strengthened and sustained partnerships •Adoption and regular use of long-term social impact indicators	Demonstrable social impact through research that addresses community or societal challenges Adoption of research-informed policies, programs or practices Measurable improvements in organizational or community conditions A durable culture of mission-aligned scholarship that advances institutional and regional goals

Source(s): Author’s own work