Drawing on original international research by a cross-European social science team, this book makes an important contribution to the discussion about the future of arts and humanities research. It explores the responses of these fields to the growing range of questions being asked about the value, impact and benefit of publicly-funded research. The objective is to better understand what really matters rather than what is easily measured.

The book increases our understanding of the contribution which university-based arts and humanities research makes to society and the economy by exploring how it is defined, appreciated and accounted for by researchers, policymakers and civil society. It identifies appropriate practices and methodologies to assess and demonstrate quality and value beyond the academy. The book will be essential reading for researchers and policymakers, as well as research organisations and anyone interested in the arts and humanities.

Ellen Hazelkorn is Policy Advisor to the Higher Education Authority, and Emeritus Professor/Director, Higher Education Policy Research Unit, Dublin Institute of Technology, Ireland. She publishes widely on higher education policy.Rankings and the Reshaping of Higher Education: The Battle for World-Class Excellence was published in 2015.

Paul Benneworth is Senior Researcher, Center for Higher Education Policy Studies, University of Twente, the Netherlands, and Scientific Leader of the EU-funded Eunivation project. His research concerns relationships between universities and society in the knowledge economy, and understanding the dynamics between these different spheres.

Magnus Gulbrandsenis Professor at TIK/Centre for Technology, Innovation and Culture, University of Oslo, Norway, and Adjunct Senior Researcher, Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education. His research concerns research quality, collaboration, commercialisation and internationalisation. He leads the Research Council of Norway-funded Centre of Excellence on Research Impact.

Part I. Setting Out the Debate.- Chapter 1. Public Understanding of Arts and Humanities Researchs Value.- Chapter 2. Making Sense of the Debate About Arts and Humanities Research.-Part II. The Public Value of Arts And Humanities Research.- Chapter 3. Norway.- Chapter 4. Ireland.- Chapter 5. Netherlands.-Part III. Policy Challenges for Arts and Humanities Research for the 21st Century.- Chapter 6. Promoting Innovation, and Assessing Impact and Value.- Chapter 7. Conclusions.