Create free summaries
Easily turn your research into practical insights with our free summarisation tool. In just minutes, your findings can be ready for NGOs, governments, and practitioners to find and use
Most research never reaches that one practitioner who needs it most. Acume makes sure it does.
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Turn your expertise into real-world impact
Your research has the power to create real change, but too often it doesn’t reach the professionals who need it — those shaping policies, building initiatives, and making key decisions. These are the dedicated professionals who want to use evidence, but don’t have the time to find or read it.
Acume transforms your findings into actionable summaries, making them instantly accessible to NGOs, governments, and practitioners.
Take it a step further by becoming a paid expert, offering tailored advice to organisations in a one-hour virtual meeting.
Turn research into summaries
Your research deserves to be appreciated
Acume’s free summarisation tool turns your research into concise summaries, shared in our evidence hub for everyone to access—at no cost. It’s part of our mission to democratise trustworthy insights.
Create and edit summaries
Simply create an account, follow a few guided steps, and hit publish. You can update your summary anytime
Make summaries in minutes
Our auto-generating tool even extracts your key findings and creates an editable draft, saving you time.
Share your wisdom
Your summary will be instantly accessible to other academics, policymakers and practitioners via our open library
Why create summaries on Acume?
Our approach
Ensuring your work is seen is our priority
We believe valuable research should never be wasted. Too often, critical insights are overlooked, and professionals end up reinventing the wheel. Our mission is to ensure your research reaches those who need it most. Once you’ve created your summary, we take care of the rest:
Targeted exposure to decision-makers
We don’t just publish your summaries—we actively send them to the organisations who need your insights.
Promotion on social channels
Every summary you create is promoted on our social media channels, reaching a wide network of professionals.
Optimised for discovery
Our platform makes your research easy to find and discoverable by professionals and organisations seeking relevant insights.
A study by Nature found that academics spend approximately a day each week on impact activities. With Acume, that’s no longer necessary—our impact summaries turn your impact efforts into minutes, giving you more time to focus on your research
Become an expert advisor
Your expertise deserves to be compensated
By becoming an expert advisor, you can earn extra income for sharing the insights you’ve already mastered—or choose to donate your earnings to support underrepresented academics. Here’s how it works:
1. Organisations seek specific expertise
When an organisation faces a challenge, we identify experts like you to provide insights that improve decision-making. Filling out your profile and creating summaries helps us match you with the right opportunities.
2. We reach out with an offer
When a match is found, we’ll contact you with an offer and details of the challenge. You’ll need to respond promptly to confirm your interest, or we may offer the opportunity to others. There’s no obligation to accept.
3. You will be supported
Before your first consultation, we provide a practical guide to help you deliver actionable advice and communicate effectively. If you need further support, we’re here to help.
4. Deliver impactful advice
Each session lasts one hour, with an additional hour of prep. You’ll offer your expert opinion and ideas for improvement. Payment is processed once the client is satisfied.
Why sign up as an expert advisor?
How to sign up as an expert advisor
Getting started as an expert advisor on Acume is easy:
- Create your free profile: Sign up on Acume by providing basic information about your expertise and background.
- Publish at least one summary in the evidence hub: Share a summary of your research or insights to build your profile and showcase your expertise.
- Indicate you’re open to opportunities: Once your profile is complete, set your status to show you’re available for expert consultations.
- Wait for a match: When a relevant opportunity arises, we’ll reach out with an offer.
FAQS
FOR RESEARCHERS
As an academic, you might have questions about how Acume helps you share your research, gain visibility, and offer your expertise to organisations in need. Below, we’ve answered some common questions about creating research summaries, joining as an expert, and how Acume supports you in turning your academic work into actionable insights that drive real change.
How do I sign up to make summaries or participate as an expert on Acume?
Sign up by creating a free account. Simply provide your details, and once registered, you can start contributing summaries and indicating your availability for expert consultations.
Do I need to pay to join Acume?
No, joining Acume, publishing summaries, and signing up as an expert is completely free. We are committed to democratising access to academic knowledge, and we do not charge academics to contribute to our platform nor anyone to read these contributions.
You can sign up here
Who is eligible to publish research summaries on Acume?
Academics, researchers, and subject-matter experts from the humanities, social sciences, behavioural sciences, or working on an SDG-related topic are eligible to publish on Acume. This includes current academics, PhD candidates, and researchers using academic methodologies. If you’re active at a university, sign up for an academic account. If not, sign up as a non-academic researcher—ideal for those working independently, at NGOs, think tanks, or outside of academia. We welcome diverse contributions to ensure a broad, inclusive pool of knowledge.
You can get started here
Can I join Acume if I'm not currently affiliated with a university?
Yes, you can. You can join as a non-academic researcher, or if applicable, link your profile to your previous university affiliation.
Can other academics from my institution or co-authors from my research paper join Acume?
Absolutely! We welcome different perspectives and encourage multiple academics from the same department, university, or co-authored research to join Acume.
When co-authors join, they can be linked to your summary and attributed as part of the original research, but it’s not yet possible for them to be listed as co-authors of the summary itself. The summary is authored by one researcher, offering their unique perspective on the key findings and recommendations from the research.
Does my research need to be peer-reviewed to make a summary?
No, peer-reviewed status is not required. We welcome both published and unpublished work, as long as it follows rigorous and trustworthy academic methods. To maintain transparency, we ask a few questions about your methodology. Non-academics are also welcome to contribute, as long as they follow similar standards and identify as a non-academic researcher.
You can get started here
Can my research summary on Acume be based on multiple papers, such as a series of connected studies?
Yes, you can base your research summary on multiple papers. If your research involves a series of interconnected studies, such as a PhD thesis covering different aspects of a topic, you can consolidate them into one summary. You can also list each paper, book, or study that your summary is based on.
You can get started here
For example, if you’ve conducted several studies on sustainable agricultural practices in different regions of East Africa, you could create a summary titled “Sustainable Agriculture and Development in East Africa.” In this summary, you can group key findings from all related studies and list each paper as a reference, providing a comprehensive overview of your research.
My original research is restricted under copyright—am I allowed to make a summary?
Yes, you can still create a summary even if your original research is under copyright. As the author, you’re free to share your insights in a way that serves a transformative purpose and respects copyright under fair use principles. Copyright restricts the specific text and presentation of the work, not the underlying ideas or evidence. However, we still recommend double-checking with your publisher to confirm any specific permissions or restrictions.
To ensure compliance with publisher guidelines, avoid reproducing the original text, figures, or copyrighted images directly from the publication. Instead, focus on rephrasing the main findings and sharing your unique perspective on the research in new language.
At Acume, we’ve developed a framework to make academic insights accessible to new audiences, such as policymakers and NGOs, while respecting copyright. Here’s how our approach supports this:
- Transformative summaries: Our framework encourages summaries that go beyond the original paper to focus on the research itself and ideas and opinions of the researcher. Rather than copying directly from the article, we encourage researchers to rephrase and explain key findings in a simple, practical and non-academic language, which is also necessary for making complex research accessible and available to a new non-academic audience.
- Attribution and source linking: We encourage authors to credit the original publication in the reference section and provide a direct link, so readers who need the full details can consult and reference the original paper directly.
- Purpose of Acume’s library: The purpose of Acume’s library is to make evidence and ideas accessible to non-academics to improve impact, so we have no commercial intent. We are not replacing or competing with the original publication.
Ultimately, academics have full control over their summaries, with Acume’s framework supporting compliance, accessibility, and collaboration with publishers. Ready to get started? Sign up here.
Do I retain the copyright of my research when I make a summary on Acume?
Yes, you retain full copyright of your original work. The summaries you create are independent pieces, so you are not republishing your original research, though you can choose to attach the original work if you wish.
You also retain full ownership of the summary published on Acume. While your summary is hosted on our platform, Acume has the right to distribute and promote it. If you remove your summary, it will no longer be available on the platform, and we will cease further distribution or promotion. However, any social posts, marketing, or other materials already created or shared with third parties will not be retracted.
Do I need to upload the original research paper when contributing a summary?
No, it’s not necessary to upload the full paper. We only require a concise summary of your research. If you have an open-access version, we encourage you to include a link so readers can explore it further.
You also have the option to upload a version of your paper directly to Acume, where it will be available as a downloadable link. This is optional and should only be done if you have the rights to distribute that version freely.
How do I manage and edit my research summaries on Acume?
You have full control over your research summaries on Acume. Once your first summary is published, you can manage and edit your summaries at any time.
To make changes, simply log into your account using your registered email, navigate to your list of summaries, and click the ‘Edit’ option next to the one you’d like to update. Your edits will be reflected immediately on the platform.
You can login here
Can I delete a summary?
If you decide to remove your research summary from Acume, simply email us at research@acume.org. We will promptly delete your summary or move it back into draft mode, according to your preference.
What is the paid expert advisory session process like?
Once you are matched with an organisation and agree to the terms, you’ll be provided with the full challenge details and any necessary reading materials. This preparation should take no more than an hour and should be done a few hours before the consultation to allow time for reflection. We’ll also provide a guide to help you prepare. The consultation itself lasts one hour, where you will offer expert insights, advice, or a critical review. Payment is processed once the client confirms their satisfaction.
You can sign up here
How does Acume handle expert session payments?
For expert consultations, Acume takes a fair commission to sustain the platform. The offer you receive will clearly state the total amount you’ll be paid, with no further deductions. Payment is processed once the client confirms they are satisfied with your consultation. Payments are typically made within 14 days, though delays may occur—we are actively working to speed up this process. If any issues arise, Acume will mediate between both parties to find a resolution. In rare cases, if the client remains unsatisfied for valid and proven reasons, payment may not be finalised.
What if I’m unavailable for an expert session?
If you receive an offer but are unavailable, you can decline without any issues, and you’ll still be considered for future opportunities.
However, if you’ve already committed to a session and become unavailable, please inform us as soon as possible so we can manage the situation.
Get started with Acume
Create a free account to start sharing your research and connecting with organisations that need your expertise. It’s quick and easy to get started, and we’re here to help if you need any support along the way.