As a researcher, it’s important to consider the impact of your research, and policy may be one area where your research can make an impact. What are the barriers to and facilitators of evidence use in policy? A recent systematic review investigated the facilitators of and barriers to evidence-based policy by undertaking a study of 145 research papers from around the world on evidence use in a range of policy areas.
In a post on the LSE Impact Blog, the authors said that:
“Despite several decades of work on evidence-based policy, the goals of improving research uptake and promoting greater use of research within policy making are still elusive.”
According to the review, some of the key factors affecting use of research in evidence were the availability and timely access to research, as well as clarity, relevance and reliability of research. These factors were reported both as barriers and facilitators of evidence use in policy.
The role of collaborations and personal relationships
The review found that good relationships and collaborations between policymakers and researchers were important for increasing use of research:
“The most frequently reported facilitators were collaboration between researchers and policymakers, and improved relationships and skills.”
So if you’d like to see your research used as evidence in policy, then collaborations and building relationships with policymakers may be beneficial.
In their blog post, the review’s authors suggest that personal relationships and trust affect whether evidence is used policy, but also impact on collaboration in research.
Collaborations with other researchers
So how can you build personal relationships with other researchers to aid research collaboration? With Piirus you can join a community of researchers who are interested in building connections, finding potential collaborators and forming new relationships for research. It helps you to connect with researchers within your institution and beyond, and make interdisciplinary connections. It can help you to find the knowledge and expertise you need for a particular project now, as well as building connections that can be valuable for the future.
How do I join?
To join Piirus, register your interest to receive an invitation. You’ll need an academic email address. We’re doing this to keep Piirus exclusive to researchers, so you don’t have to worry about sifting through members of the general public to find other researchers.
Create a profile with your research interests and collaboration interests and methodologies – it takes just a few minutes. Piirus will suggest researchers whose interests ‘match’ yours. You can also search and browse to find other researchers and contact them.
So join Piirus today to build your connections and collaborations.
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