Using Evidence: How Research Can Inform Public ServicesThis book provides a timely and novel contribution to understanding and enhancing evidence use. It builds on and complements the popular and best-selling What Works?: Evidence-based policy and practice in public services (Davies, Nutley and Smith, Policy Press, 2000), by drawing together current knowledge about how research gets used and how this can be encouraged and improved. In particular, the authors explore various multidiscipliary frameworks for understanding the research use agenda; consider how research use and the impact of research can be assessed; summarise the empirical evidence from the education, health care, social care and criminal justice fields about how research is used and how this can be improved and draw out practical issues that need to be addressed if research is to have greater impact on public services. Using evidence is important reading for university and government researchers, research funding bodies, public service managers and professionals, and students of public policy and management. It will also prove an invaluable guide for anyone involved in the implementation of evidence-based policy and practice. |
Contents
Settings of interest | 4 |
Research use and the evidencebased policy | 10 |
How does research fit with evidence? | 20 |
Structure of the book | 26 |
1 | 38 |
Knott and Wildavskys standards of research use among | 47 |
7 | 54 |
What shapes the use of research? | 61 |
3 | 117 |
whats been tried | 125 |
1 | 126 |
5 | 138 |
six What can we learn from the literature on learning | 155 |
seven Improving research use in practice contexts | 195 |
eight Improving research use in policy contexts | 231 |
nine How can we assess research use and wider | 271 |
Other editions - View all
Using evidence: How research can inform public services Nutley, Sandra M.,Walter, Isabel Limited preview - 2007 |
Common terms and phrases
action activities Adapted adoption agencies aimed applied approaches assessment attention challenges Chapter communities complex conceptual concerns contexts culture decision diffusion of innovations direct discussion dissemination draw effective encourage engage enhance et al evaluation evidence evidence-based example existing experience factors field focus focused forms Four further groups highlight ideas identify impact implementation important improve increase individual influence initiatives innovation interactive interest interventions involved issues kinds knowledge learning limited literature makers and practitioners means mechanisms nature networks noted organisational particular play policy and practice policy makers policy process political potential practitioners problems production professional programmes projects promoting questions range reflect relationship research and policy research findings research-based role seen settings shape sharing social Source specific strategies studies success suggest thinking understanding users values wide wider
Popular passages
Page 344 - O'Neill HM, Pouder RW and Buchholtz AK (1998) . Patterns in the diffusion of strategies across organisations: Insights from the innovation diffusion literature.