The complexity of contemporary higher education policy making and the multitude of evidences and actors in policy networks mean that relationships between higher education researchers, policy makers and research evidence are not straightforward. In this article, we use a theoretical lens of time, Adams' Timescapes, to explore this relationship and…

The Evidence to Action project (2019-2021), led by MDRC and the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) and supported by Arnold Ventures, initiated a body of work designed to disentangle the barriers that exist between research and state-level higher education policy and partnered with state higher education agencies to…

For stakeholders who would like to see more research as a basis for educational policy, it is important to understand the prevalence of research use and the sources of the studies used by policymakers, as well as the factors that hinder research use in educational policymaking. Through an analysis of regulatory documents and interviews with 34 key…

The nexus between research and policy in higher education as in other sectors of society is multimodal and not adequately captured by the notion of a cultural gap between the world of practice and the world of research. Neither can the relationship be seen as unidirectional. This paper sketches out the range of uses of research in policy-making,…

Valorisation is at the centre of many debates on the future of academic research. But valorisation has largely become narrowly understood in terms of universities' economic contributions through patenting, licensing, spin-off formation and technology transfer. This emergent restrictive definition of universities' societal impacts is a worrying…

The relationship between policy formation and research is explored. Three theories accounting for the non-utilization of research, ways in which research is utilized by administrators, and situational factors influencing use are covered. Implications for future action within an increasingly political framework are presented. (SW)

This paper rebuts four common assumptions underlying criticisms of higher education policy scholarship and policy making. The first assumption, policymakers agree on the nature of policy problems and therefore on the kinds of research needed, is rebutted by noting that actually, there is no way to identify and research all possible future policy…

This report is one of a series of papers on policy alternatives commissioned by the California Legislature's Joint Committee on the Master Plan for Higher Education. Most of the papers are directed toward synthesis and analysis of existing information and perspectives on the role of research in California. Topics cover the categories of research…

Presents a nursing model for the integration of health service research into policy formation, including doctoral programs and fellowships. Asserts that empowered nurses can change the country's health policy. (JOW)

Studies on the relationship between research and development (R&D) and public policymaking processes are reviewed. Attention is directed to R&D utilization in Sweden and other countries. The publications are grouped into four categories: policymaking and knowledge utilization, research policy, higher education policy, and knowledge…

Educational research and evaluation have had less impact on policy and decision making in education than hoped for, since research and evaluation represent fundamentally different kinds of endeavor than policy and decision making do. Evaluation has more impact than research because it is a more administrative activity and is more integral to…

Research conducted by Patrick Clancy and by Fitzpatrick Associates and Philip O'Connell on the level of representation of socio-economic groups amongst higher education entrants has been a key element in the development of access policy and practice in Ireland. This article reviews the context for the development of access and explores the…

Recent developments in the social policy literature suggest a growing overlap in community and social policy interests and methods. This combination of community and policy interests is illustrated by tracing successive steps of the Illinois Residential Life Survey in order to support programming decisions about community mental health in a…

The Carnegie Corporation's new Commission on Science, Technology, and Government will look for ways in which federal and state governments can better incorporate scientific and technological knowledge into their policy and administrative decisions. The panel includes university presidents, Nobel-prize-winning scientists, and former high-level…

Research generally influences state policy only indirectly. On the other hand, research is not utterly without influence. For example, research findings about schools and colleges which have influenced policy include: the appendices that accompanied "On Further Examination," the College Board report on the SAT score decline; the Southern…