This report critically examines studies of how scientific research drives innovation which is then translated into socio-economic benefits. It focuses on research evaluation insights that are relevant not only to the academic community, but also to policymakers and evaluation practitioners--and particularly to biomedical and health research funders. First, it provides a predominantly descriptive "historical overview of some landmark studies" in the research evaluation field, from the late 1950s until the present day, and highlights some of their key contributions. Then, it reflects on the historical overview analytically, in order to discuss some of the "methodological developments" and "recurrent themes" in research evaluation studies. The report concludes by discussing the "enduring challenges" in research evaluation studies and their implications. This report also presents a historical context for the Project Retrosight. Retrosight is a multinational study investigating diverse impacts from cardiovascular disease research in three countries (Australia, Britain and Canada) over the last 20 to 25 years and the pathways through which the impacts are produced. A bibliography is included. A summary of key studies and their insights is appended. (Contains 5 figures, 2 tables and 17 footnotes.) [This report was prepared for Project Retrosight.]