Where are we now? Three generations of thinking about the role of research in policy and practice

The talk has explored the role of research in policy and practice. It has drawn on both conceptual work on different models of thinking with regard to research use (from the linear, to the relationship model to a more comprehensive systems approach) and empirical work looking at how organizations seek to promote research use.  The talk then described ten exploratory case studies conducted in Europe to better understand the approaches that are currently used to assess the impact of research in practice and the conceptualizations of knowledge transfer that underpin them. It  concluded by focusing on some of the practical and conceptual challenges facing us in promoting and evaluating the use of research in policy and practice.