Bridging Research and Policy:Context, Evidence and Links

Although many researchers have been driven by the aim to influence policy in the field of
international development, research is often ignored, top-down, inaccurate or neglects the concerns
of poor or marginalised people. A number of international development organisations have research
programmes aimed at improving the links between research and policy, including the Overseas
Development Institute (ODI). The ODI Bridging Research and Policy project aims to increase
understanding of linkages between development research, policy and practice and develop simple
tools for researchers and policy makers to promote evidence-based policy that contributes to poverty
reduction, alleviation of suffering or the saving of lives.
Research and policy defy neat separation but can be conceptually distinguished by their goals and
methods; research produces knowledge (whether by, as examples, action-research or academic
study); policy aims for continuity or change of a practice (stretching from the statements on intent to
the development of policy in practice). In this paper we appraise current models of knowledge
utilisation and policy making, as well as other literature that sheds light on the research/policy
linkages, and offer an integrated approach to help investigate further.