02351nas a2200193 4500000000100000008004100001260003400042653005700076653002100133653001800154100001400172700001300186700001300199245009400212300001200306490000700318520180700325022002502132 2019 d bOxford University Press (OUP)10aPublic Health, Environmental and Occupational Health10aGeneral Medicine10aPublic health1 aGentry SV1 aMilden L1 aKelly MP00aHow can we achieve impact from public health research? A meta-ethnography of case studies a370-3770 v433 aAbstract
Background
Generation of public health impact from research is challenging. Research of similar quality often has differential uptake and there is considerable lag time between initiation and uptake of research. Improving understanding of how research impact can be achieved may identify areas stakeholders could target.
Methods
This work uses meta-ethnography to synthesize 21 case studies exploring how researchers have generated public health policy impact.
Results
Eight constructs were identified: expertise; motivation; practical solutions to important problems; support structure and funding; collaboration; wide dissemination and use of media to contribute ideas to the wider narrative; understanding the policy realm; and models of impact. The constructs were combined in a lines-of-argument synthesis, producing a model that seeks to illustrate the diffuse, complex and dynamic nature of the process of generating impact from research.
Conclusion
Achieving research impact involves seeking to shape wider debates, building relationships with policy makers, becoming a trusted collaborator and being available to provide relevant and practical solutions to questions of concern to policy makers at the appropriate time.
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