Pacific D
WITHDRAWN - The Influence of Research Evidence on Social Policy: A Systematic Review (307840)
LauraEllen Ashcraft, University of Pittsburgh School of Social WorkRoss C. Brownson, Prevention Research Center, Brown School and School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis
*Deirdre A. Quinn, Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion (CHERP)
Keywords: research-to-policy gap, dissemination, social policy, systematic review
Policymakers are influenced by many forces, including public opinion, special interest groups, personal narratives, constituent needs, industry, and the media. Scientific research has the potential for strong influence on policy; however, variation in public policies and relevant scholarly disciplines has to date prevented the identification of best practices for bridging the research-to-policy gap.
Social policies (those related to social services, health, education, housing, and the environment) tend to be politically charged and dissemination strategies to these policymakers may be distinct. The current study distills existing research through a systematic review of scientific literature on the role of research in shaping social policy.
Using the PRISMA-P model for systematic reviews, we initially identified 4,687 unique citations; after screening by both title and abstract, 260 citations were reviewed in full-text and 27 were identified for inclusion. The included studies represent the gamut of qualitative and quantitative research strategies on a range of social policies. Successful strategies for research dissemination depend on the source, message, channel, and audience.