Some reflections on research translation for policy and practice

Abstract

Stepping into the Editor's role for this issue of Journal of Family Studies has prompted to me to reflect on the importance of research being made accessible for policy-makers, practitioners, and parents themselves. This is not because the articles in this issue are not accessible for non-researchers! Rather, flowing out of the recent Excellence in Research in Australia (ERA) initiative that seeks to assess 'research quality' within Australia's higher education system, (1) there is some confusion about whether academics' work should be assessed simply by how much and where they publish, or whether the 'real-world' impact of their work should also be counted. Regardless of the direction of ERA, research translation is a topic that needs to be brought into this important debate. Research translation remains a serious problem in Australia. (2) Many researchers do not translate their findings for policy or practice. In addition, while much research is funded in Australia, the end result is that printed reports often sit on tables at conferences and workshops. As a consequence, readers are often left to try to make sense of a piece of research. This is no easy task without relevant expertise in the area of interest. In an ideal research world, how would research translation work? To begin with, researchers would write simply and clearly, and offer ideas on the possible implications of their findings for policy and practice. They would disseminate key findings through the media, specialist seminars, workshops, and conference presentations. Leaders in a field would write review articles summarizing the key studies in an area and draw conclusions for policy and practice on the basis of systematic reviews. Funding bodies (especially government departments and agencies) would help to coordinate events where policymakers, practitioners, researchers, and other interested parties could meet to make sense of research in applied context. In Australia, the latter already happens to some degree. The Australian Institute of Family Studies in Melbourne and the Social Policy Research Centre in Sydney each host a national biennial conference in alternate years; the Family Law Section of the Law Council of Australia also hosts a national biennial conference; Family Relationship Services Australia hosts an annual conference. For the past 2 years, the Attorney-General's Department has hosted a 2-day Family Law System conference in Canberra. The Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) also holds an annual conference where researchers talk about their findings and discuss the implications for social policy. Moreover, the two large Australian longitudinal studies in the social sciences--the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC) and the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey--each hold biennial conferences showcasing studies using their data. At the local level, there are many state-based conferences (e.g., the Queensland Law Society Family Law Residential, and the New South Wales Legal Aid Conference). In addition, many Family Law Pathways Networks hold their own conferences in their respective regions (e.g., Coifs Harbour, Canberra, Toowoomba and Perth). There are also specialist groups, such as the Family Law Council and the Child Support National Stakeholders Engagement Group, that meet regularly with researchers from around Australia to remain in touch with the latest empirical findings. Many other conferences take place, and many other groups exist that make use of research to shape their work. Yet, while there is no shortage of opportunities for researchers to talk about their work, research translation at conferences and workshops continues to be problematic. Often there are too many papers and sessions, and not enough time allocated for the sort of discussions or questions that might assist in linking findings to relevant practice. …