Overton
@overton.io
We're the world's largest database of public policy documents and the evidence and influence behind them, trusted by 100s of universities, think tanks and gov agencies worldwide.
Discover policy, track impact and find new ways to engage with policymakers
Discover policy, track impact and find new ways to engage with policymakers
What does impact mean to you?
Here’s what it means to Dr Julia Barzyk, @mrstew.bsky.social and Dr Peter Kolarz…
“Creating tangible benefits”
”Affecting concrete and valuable change”
”When people care about research”
Do you agree?
Let us know in the comments!
Here’s what it means to Dr Julia Barzyk, @mrstew.bsky.social and Dr Peter Kolarz…
“Creating tangible benefits”
”Affecting concrete and valuable change”
”When people care about research”
Do you agree?
Let us know in the comments!
February 11, 2026 at 11:02 AM
What does impact mean to you?
Here’s what it means to Dr Julia Barzyk, @mrstew.bsky.social and Dr Peter Kolarz…
“Creating tangible benefits”
”Affecting concrete and valuable change”
”When people care about research”
Do you agree?
Let us know in the comments!
Here’s what it means to Dr Julia Barzyk, @mrstew.bsky.social and Dr Peter Kolarz…
“Creating tangible benefits”
”Affecting concrete and valuable change”
”When people care about research”
Do you agree?
Let us know in the comments!
Last week, Max Crowley, the Director of the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative at Penn State, published a great piece titled “How universities can tell when their research is shaping policy”. In it, he mentions how Overton helps his team...
(www.smartbrief.com/original/how...)
(www.smartbrief.com/original/how...)
How universities can tell when their research is shaping policy - SmartBrief
Max Crowley of Penn State’s Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative explains why higher education leaders need stronger ways to monitor how research informs policy and how those insights guide better…
www.smartbrief.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:00 PM
Last week, Max Crowley, the Director of the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative at Penn State, published a great piece titled “How universities can tell when their research is shaping policy”. In it, he mentions how Overton helps his team...
(www.smartbrief.com/original/how...)
(www.smartbrief.com/original/how...)
A compelling impact story can help build reputation by showing how your research has influenced policy at a local, national, or international scale.
But where do you start?
Overton can help…
But where do you start?
Overton can help…
February 9, 2026 at 3:02 PM
A compelling impact story can help build reputation by showing how your research has influenced policy at a local, national, or international scale.
But where do you start?
Overton can help…
But where do you start?
Overton can help…
Reputation (both personal and institutional) can impact funding decisions and scholarly citations as well as influencing whether others want to collaborate with you.
February 9, 2026 at 3:02 PM
Reputation (both personal and institutional) can impact funding decisions and scholarly citations as well as influencing whether others want to collaborate with you.
The research ecosystem is built on credibility. Your reputation acts as currency - signalling to other scholars as well as research users like government or business that they can trust your work.
February 9, 2026 at 3:02 PM
The research ecosystem is built on credibility. Your reputation acts as currency - signalling to other scholars as well as research users like government or business that they can trust your work.
Our searchable ARI database brings together Areas of Research Interest in one place, giving researchers clear visibility into UK government priorities and providing opportunities for policy engagement.
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Our searchable ARI database brings together Areas of Research Interest in one place, giving researchers clear visibility into UK government priorities and providing opportunities for policy engagement.
We’re proud to collaborate with the Government Office for Science, the Economic and Social Research Council, and Transforming Evidence to support this work.
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM
We’re proud to collaborate with the Government Office for Science, the Economic and Social Research Council, and Transforming Evidence to support this work.
Overall, the takeaway was clear: there is huge enthusiasm and commitment across the system to make ARIs work effectively to truly bridge the gap between research and policy.
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Overall, the takeaway was clear: there is huge enthusiasm and commitment across the system to make ARIs work effectively to truly bridge the gap between research and policy.
Monitoring, evaluation and discoverability are ongoing challenges
Government teams are actively looking for better ways to understand who is engaging with ARIs, how effective they are, and how tools that improve data, search and analytics could help.
Government teams are actively looking for better ways to understand who is engaging with ARIs, how effective they are, and how tools that improve data, search and analytics could help.
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Monitoring, evaluation and discoverability are ongoing challenges
Government teams are actively looking for better ways to understand who is engaging with ARIs, how effective they are, and how tools that improve data, search and analytics could help.
Government teams are actively looking for better ways to understand who is engaging with ARIs, how effective they are, and how tools that improve data, search and analytics could help.
Feedback loops are missing
Representatives in attendance from universities, impact teams and government departments all highlighted how little visibility they have into what happens after introductions are made, making it hard to understand what’s working and why.
Representatives in attendance from universities, impact teams and government departments all highlighted how little visibility they have into what happens after introductions are made, making it hard to understand what’s working and why.
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Feedback loops are missing
Representatives in attendance from universities, impact teams and government departments all highlighted how little visibility they have into what happens after introductions are made, making it hard to understand what’s working and why.
Representatives in attendance from universities, impact teams and government departments all highlighted how little visibility they have into what happens after introductions are made, making it hard to understand what’s working and why.
Confidence and clarity are needed on both sides
Researchers and policymakers are often equally hesitant to engage with one another. Clearer signals about what policymakers are looking for (i.e. published evidence vs. new research) would help manage expectations and reduce friction.
Researchers and policymakers are often equally hesitant to engage with one another. Clearer signals about what policymakers are looking for (i.e. published evidence vs. new research) would help manage expectations and reduce friction.
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Confidence and clarity are needed on both sides
Researchers and policymakers are often equally hesitant to engage with one another. Clearer signals about what policymakers are looking for (i.e. published evidence vs. new research) would help manage expectations and reduce friction.
Researchers and policymakers are often equally hesitant to engage with one another. Clearer signals about what policymakers are looking for (i.e. published evidence vs. new research) would help manage expectations and reduce friction.
ARIs work best as conversation starters, not transactional requests
Universities are increasingly using ARIs across the full policy engagement cycle: from training early-career researchers, to strengthening funding bids, to building longer-term relationships with policymakers.
Universities are increasingly using ARIs across the full policy engagement cycle: from training early-career researchers, to strengthening funding bids, to building longer-term relationships with policymakers.
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM
ARIs work best as conversation starters, not transactional requests
Universities are increasingly using ARIs across the full policy engagement cycle: from training early-career researchers, to strengthening funding bids, to building longer-term relationships with policymakers.
Universities are increasingly using ARIs across the full policy engagement cycle: from training early-career researchers, to strengthening funding bids, to building longer-term relationships with policymakers.
ARIs are gaining traction, but still maturing
Despite ARIs being in their early stages, 11 ARIs were published in 2025 alone, showing that awareness and enthusiasm are clearly growing - particularly within universities.
Despite ARIs being in their early stages, 11 ARIs were published in 2025 alone, showing that awareness and enthusiasm are clearly growing - particularly within universities.
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM
ARIs are gaining traction, but still maturing
Despite ARIs being in their early stages, 11 ARIs were published in 2025 alone, showing that awareness and enthusiasm are clearly growing - particularly within universities.
Despite ARIs being in their early stages, 11 ARIs were published in 2025 alone, showing that awareness and enthusiasm are clearly growing - particularly within universities.
Here are a few key themes that were prominent across the day...
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Here are a few key themes that were prominent across the day...
With around 100 attendees and a strong mix of perspectives, it was a day full of vibrant discussion around ARIs - their growing momentum, the challenges that surround them, and the real opportunity they present for more effective evidence-informed policymaking.
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM
With around 100 attendees and a strong mix of perspectives, it was a day full of vibrant discussion around ARIs - their growing momentum, the challenges that surround them, and the real opportunity they present for more effective evidence-informed policymaking.
This event brought together government departments, universities and policy engagement teams to discuss the evolving role of Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) in UK policy engagement, and how we can better bridge the gap between research and policy.
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM
This event brought together government departments, universities and policy engagement teams to discuss the evolving role of Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) in UK policy engagement, and how we can better bridge the gap between research and policy.
Yesterday, our product manager, Taylor Goulding, attended the 2026 ARI Symposium.
February 6, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Yesterday, our product manager, Taylor Goulding, attended the 2026 ARI Symposium.
A huge shout out to our data analyst Kat Hart for her work on this! Using Overton Index, Kat investigated how evidence travels through global policy networks in times of crisis and the patterns that emerge in the research to policy interface.
Find the full piece below ⬇️
Find the full piece below ⬇️
💥New | How does evidence travel through global policy networks?
✍️ @kat-hart.bsky.social
#EvidenceForPolicy #ResearchImpact #Policymaking
✍️ @kat-hart.bsky.social
#EvidenceForPolicy #ResearchImpact #Policymaking
How does evidence travel through global policy networks? - LSE Impact
The COVID-19 pandemic saw an unprecedented mobilisation of new and existing research to support policy at the local, national and global scale. Drawing on evidence from the Overton policy citation dat...
blogs.lse.ac.uk
February 5, 2026 at 3:13 PM
A huge shout out to our data analyst Kat Hart for her work on this! Using Overton Index, Kat investigated how evidence travels through global policy networks in times of crisis and the patterns that emerge in the research to policy interface.
Find the full piece below ⬇️
Find the full piece below ⬇️
“2026 will mark a turning point: Universities that successfully operationalise these systems will set new standards for policy engagement, transparency and research-driven impact.”
Read @mrstew.bsky.social's full statement on his outlook for the year ⬇️
Read @mrstew.bsky.social's full statement on his outlook for the year ⬇️
Tech Outlook 2026: What Higher Ed Tech Leaders Expect this Year -- Campus Technology
We asked higher education technology leaders for their predictions on how the tech landscape will change for colleges and universities in the coming year. Here's what they told us.
campustechnology.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:04 PM
“2026 will mark a turning point: Universities that successfully operationalise these systems will set new standards for policy engagement, transparency and research-driven impact.”
Read @mrstew.bsky.social's full statement on his outlook for the year ⬇️
Read @mrstew.bsky.social's full statement on his outlook for the year ⬇️
We could go on and on about how helpful Overton data can be for your research, but it sounds better coming from our users…
February 3, 2026 at 3:00 PM
We could go on and on about how helpful Overton data can be for your research, but it sounds better coming from our users…
To learn more about this functionality and what it looks like in action, or to learn about the other ways we utilise AI, head to our blog → [https://www.overton.io/blog/making-use-of-ai-to-connect-research-and-policy](www.overton.io/blog/making-...)
Making use of AI to connect research and policy
At Overton, we always strive to be innovative by making use of new technology to improve our users' experience on the platform. In this blog, our machine learning engineer, Angel Luis Jaso Tamame,…
www.overton.io
February 2, 2026 at 2:15 PM
To learn more about this functionality and what it looks like in action, or to learn about the other ways we utilise AI, head to our blog → [https://www.overton.io/blog/making-use-of-ai-to-connect-research-and-policy](www.overton.io/blog/making-...)
As with any AI tool, it’s important to be aware of its shortcomings.
So, we run all of our descriptions through a quality control check to ensure the descriptions meet the Overton standard of consistency and clarity.
So, we run all of our descriptions through a quality control check to ensure the descriptions meet the Overton standard of consistency and clarity.
February 2, 2026 at 2:15 PM
As with any AI tool, it’s important to be aware of its shortcomings.
So, we run all of our descriptions through a quality control check to ensure the descriptions meet the Overton standard of consistency and clarity.
So, we run all of our descriptions through a quality control check to ensure the descriptions meet the Overton standard of consistency and clarity.
👉 How does it work?
We run full policy documents through a text “cleaner” which gets rid of anything that might confuse the AI. This includes images, formatting or weird characters.
Once the documents have been cleaned, we run the documents through a LLM which generates the document description.
We run full policy documents through a text “cleaner” which gets rid of anything that might confuse the AI. This includes images, formatting or weird characters.
Once the documents have been cleaned, we run the documents through a LLM which generates the document description.
February 2, 2026 at 2:15 PM
👉 How does it work?
We run full policy documents through a text “cleaner” which gets rid of anything that might confuse the AI. This includes images, formatting or weird characters.
Once the documents have been cleaned, we run the documents through a LLM which generates the document description.
We run full policy documents through a text “cleaner” which gets rid of anything that might confuse the AI. This includes images, formatting or weird characters.
Once the documents have been cleaned, we run the documents through a LLM which generates the document description.
The descriptions can also bring attention to unexpected document insights that you would otherwise only gather by reading the whole document.
The feature gives you precious time back so you can focus on reviewing documents that actually align with project goals.
The feature gives you precious time back so you can focus on reviewing documents that actually align with project goals.
February 2, 2026 at 2:15 PM
The descriptions can also bring attention to unexpected document insights that you would otherwise only gather by reading the whole document.
The feature gives you precious time back so you can focus on reviewing documents that actually align with project goals.
The feature gives you precious time back so you can focus on reviewing documents that actually align with project goals.
👉 Why are they useful?
Instead of opening up a PDF and scrolling through to find out if it’s worth your while, the document description provides key information at a glance.
Instead of opening up a PDF and scrolling through to find out if it’s worth your while, the document description provides key information at a glance.
February 2, 2026 at 2:15 PM
👉 Why are they useful?
Instead of opening up a PDF and scrolling through to find out if it’s worth your while, the document description provides key information at a glance.
Instead of opening up a PDF and scrolling through to find out if it’s worth your while, the document description provides key information at a glance.