Policy Research Efforts Research Articles

Life in Data Sets: Locating and Accessing Data on the Health of Americans Across the Life Span.

The US government manages a large number of data sets, including federally funded data collection activities that examine infectious and chronic conditions, as well as risk and protective factors for adverse health outcomes. Although there currently is no mature, comprehensive metadata repository of existing data sets, US federal agencies are working to develop and make metadata repositories available that will improve discoverability. However, because these repositories are not yet operating at full capacity, researchers must rely on their own knowledge of the field to identify available data sets. We sought to identify and consolidate a practical and annotated listing of those data sets. Creative use of data resources to address novel questions is an important research skill in a wide range of fields including public health. This report identifies, promotes, and encourages the use of a range of data sources for health, behavior, economic, and policy research efforts across the life span. We identified and organized 28 federal data sets by the age-group of primary focus; not all groups are mutually exclusive. These data sets collectively represent a rich source of information that can be used to conduct descriptive epidemiologic studies. The data sets identified in this article are not intended to represent an exhaustive list of all available data sets. Rather, we present an introduction/overview of the current federal data collection landscape and some of its largest and most frequently utilized data sets.

School Physical Activity Policy

ABSTRACT This article provides a general summary of school physical activity policies, addresses the appeal of policy as means to increase school physical activity, identifies general policy research approaches and findings, and outlines perspectives on future policy research in schools. It begins with an overview of the elementary school physical activity environment, distinguishes policies from practices, and outlines why school physical activity policy can be considered as a viable solution for improving population-level physical activity and health. Next, it describes relevant aspects of policy and provides an overview of policy-related research aims and findings. Lastly, it provides perspectives on policy research efforts that are needed to support evidence-based advocacy efforts.

A study of education policy research at the Brookings Institution

This paper reports a study of the education policy research efforts at the Brookings Institution, a leading non-profit public policy research organization (think tank) in the United States. The data for this study was derived from on-site interviews, the Brookings Institution library as well as archival materials. The on-site interviews took place during the summer of 1996, and focused on contextual factors, including a review of research efforts in education policy at Brookings. The data from the interviews and those from the library and archival collections were analyzed in conjunction with each other. The findings of this study show that the Brookings Institution has a long history of involvement in education policy research in the United States. The findings also reveal that a number of factors work together in policy research efforts at Brookings, including a progressive trend of involvement in education policy over time, availability of a critical concentration of scholars with some degree of interest in education reform, and an organizational climate conducive to research on innovative education policies. The latter includes a sense of cohesiveness, and mutual understanding and respect between the scholars and administrators. Strong administrative support, as well as technical support for research and dissemination of research findings, are key factors. These findings should help educational researchers, policy makers and administrators gain a clear picture of the role of a leading public policy research organization in education reform, and provide a basis for researching the role of think tanks in education policy.