The demand for the "Societal Impact" of research is ubiquitous in science, technology and innovation policy, establishing an alternative and mostly integrative relationship between science and society. "Societal Impact" in this context is a cross-cutting issue that addresses grand societal challenges, produces breakthrough or socially transformative innovations, and, at its best, represents both socially inclusive and responsible research and innovation.

The requirement for societal impact of research inevitably raises questions of quality, and it is unclear, for example, what can or should be considered good research in terms of societal impact and what criteria and procedures should be applied. In order to arrive at a better understanding of the term and its conception here, it is necessary to consider quality issues not only within disciplines, but from a strong inter- and transdisciplinary perspective.