Abstract
BackgroundEffective use of research to inform policymaking can be strengthened by policymakers undertaking various research engagement actions (e.g., accessing, appraising, and applying research). Consequently, we developed a thorough measurement and scoring tool to assess whether and how policymakers undertook research engagement actions in the development of a policy document. This scoring tool breaks down each research engagement action into its key ‘subactions’ like a checklist. The primary aim was to develop the scoring tool further so that it assigned appropriate scores to each subaction based on its effectiveness for achieving evidence-informed policymaking. To establish the relative effectiveness of these subactions, we conducted a conjoint analysis, which was used to elicit the opinions and preferences of knowledge translation experts.MethodFifty-four knowledge translation experts were recruited to undertake six choice surveys. Respondents were exposed to combinations of research engagement subactions called ‘profiles’, and rated on a 1–9 scale whether each profile represented a limited (1–3), moderate (4–6), or extensive (7–9) example of each research engagement action. Generalised estimating equations were used to analyse respondents’ choice data, where a utility coefficient was calculated for each subaction. A large utility coefficient indicates that a subaction was influential in guiding experts’ ratings of extensive engagement with research.ResultsThe calculated utilities were used as the points assigned to the subactions in the scoring system. The following subactions yielded the largest utilities and were regarded as the most important components of engaging with research: searching academic literature databases, obtaining systematic reviews and peer-reviewed research, appraising relevance by verifying its applicability to the policy context, appraising quality by evaluating the validity of the method and conclusions, engaging in thorough collaborations with researchers, and undertaking formal research projects to inform the policy in question.ConclusionsWe have generated an empirically-derived and context-sensitive method of measuring and scoring the extent to which policymakers engaged with research to inform policy development. The scoring system can be used by organisations to quantify staff research engagement actions and thus provide them with insights into what types of training, systems, and tools might improve their staff’s research use capacity.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12961-015-0013-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Effective use of research to inform policymaking can be strengthened by policymakers undertaking various research engagement actions
We have generated an empirically-derived and context-sensitive method of measuring and scoring the extent to which policymakers engaged with research to inform policy development
The scoring system can be used by organisations to quantify staff research engagement actions and provide them with insights into what types of training, systems, and tools might improve their staff’s research use capacity
Summary
Effective use of research to inform policymaking can be strengthened by policymakers undertaking various research engagement actions (e.g., accessing, appraising, and applying research). Evidence suggests that this research to policy gap is, in part, due to barriers affecting policymakers’ capacity to access research (i.e., search for and retrieve research to inform policy), appraise research (i.e., evaluate its scientific quality and relevance to the policy issue and context), generate new research or analyses (e.g., externally commission research or conduct research internally), and/ or interact with researchers (e.g., communicate, consult, and/or collaborate with relevant researchers) [16,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30]. The Supporting Policy in Health with Research: an Intervention Trial (SPIRIT) Action Framework [19] – a conceptual model developed to inform a multifaceted program to increase the capacity of policy agencies to use research – collectively refers to these actions of accessing, appraising, and/or generating relevant and high-quality research evidence as research engagement actions. These research engagement actions are distinct from what is sometimes termed research engagement, which describes policymakers’ awareness and perceptions of the value of research, and generating interest and dialogue between the public and research community [31]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
