While most PhDs have accepted that their research probably won’t change the world, they at least want to make some impact on society. But how? In Episode 16 of Doctor it! we discuss strategies of making our research more impactful, and we share experiences of being personally impacted by our research fields. Emily Genatowski and Martin Pokorny talk with Nora Hansl from the Department of Political Science about her research on valuing vaccination and Stefan Sonntagbauer, doctoral candidate in German philology, about his research on horror movies. Learn about how Nora and Stefan try to follow the logic of academic impact factors while making a difference in the world through personal encounters in the field. Do you want to find out why impact is not a one-way street? Do you want to know how Stefan and Nora cope with the psychological effects of conducting research on highly controversial topics involving parent-child relationships and ghost encounters? Listen to Episode 16 of Doctor it!

This episode was written and produced by Emily Genatowski, Martin Pokorny and Adityo Darmawan Sudagung, recorded and edited by Christian Lendl and hosted by Emily Genatowski and Martin Pokorny. Special thanks to our guests, Stefan Sonntagsbauer and Nora Hansl.

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