BU Research Blog

Are you preparing or contributing to an impact case study for REF 2029, or would you simply like to understand whether your research is being used in policy and practice? 

Bournemouth University is now subscribed to Overton.  

What is Overton? 

Overton is a platform that enables researchers to easily find where their work has been cited or mentioned in policy documents, to identify opportunities to influence policymakers, and to track the real-world impact of their research. 

BU’s Overton subscription brings together two complementary platforms: Overton Index, for discovering and analysing policy and grey literature, and Overton Engage, for finding opportunities to contribute to policymaking. 

Overton Index is a searchable database of policy documents and grey literature from organisations around the world. Its coverage includes government publications, guidelines, think tank reports, documents from intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, and working papers. 

For academics preparing an impact case study, Overton may help answer questions such as: 

• Has my research been cited in a policy document, guideline or government report?  

• Which organisations are referring to my work?  

• In what policy contexts is my research being used?  

• Are several publications from my research group contributing to the same policy area?  

• Which policy debates, organisations or evidence needs are relevant to my current research?  

Overton Engage can  help researchers find policy engagement opportunities, including consultations, calls for evidence, expert groups and advisory roles.  

Overton is therefore not only a tool for looking retrospectively at research influence. It can be used throughout the research process—from shaping initial ideas and identifying stakeholders to sharing findings and monitoring their subsequent use. 

 Getting started 

We will be running a training session for those involved in potential REF impact case studies in September to familiarise users with the platforms. In the meantime, our  Overton User Guide provides step-by-step guidance on how to: 

• create an account simply using your BU email address;  

• search for policy documents, people and scholarly publications;  

• identify where research has been cited or mentioned;  

• navigate Overton Index and Overton Engage;  

• set up researcher profiles, saved searches and alerts;  

• access further guidance on impact planning, funding applications, evidence synthesis and advanced uses of Overton.  

Visit Overton to begin exploring how your research connects with policy and use our accompanying guide for step-by-step support.