Abstract
Policy is generally described as principles that govern some action directed toward a specific outcome. Other statements used to describe policy consist of a stated proposition on a particular issue, an action plan selected by one of the three branches of government, and an authoritative statement, decision, or guideline that directs behavior toward a specific goal (Porche, 2012). Individuals who make policy are known as policymakers. These policymakers contribute to a vast body of various types of policy, such as health policy, public policy, public health policy, social policy, institutional or organizational policy, or legal policy.
Researchers are seldom considered policymakers; however, my thesis is that every researcher is a potential policymaker or establish a policy agenda. This indicates that researchers are capable of influencing the policymaking process or directly proposing recommendations for research utilization in policy. The researcher should begin with the end in mind; that is, the research should consider the potential policy considerations and current political situation during the development of the research question and research study design. The researcher can consider an incremental or transformational policymaking change process. The unfolding of a researcher’s program of research could also have an unfolding incremental policy agenda or policymaking process. As the research findings unfold and lead to the next research question so too could the research findings inform current or potential policy, and the next research question could propose unfolding incremental policy changes.
Some necessary conditions to facilitate policy development and implementation should be considered by the researcher. These necessary conditions consist of clear and logical objectives with a common goal, sufficient research findings to support the relationship between the expected outcome and proposed policy, committed administrative and policymaking resources, clear communication, public and stakeholder support, and stable socioeconomic conditions surrounding the area of research or policy context. Other facilitators for research usage in policy formulation consist of personal contact between the researcher and policymakers, timeliness and relevance of research findings, research that proposes a clear summary of policy recommendations, effectiveness data, and permeable organizational boundaries to outside knowledge.
Planned policy strategies are recommended to promote the use of research findings in policy implementation. These policy strategies may facilitate the adoption of research findings in the process that informs policymaking:
Researcher and policymaker jointly set research priorities and develop research program
Policymaker funds research project
Policymaker considered a member of the research team during the study
Policymaker used to communicate research findings to interested stakeholders
Researcher writes policy recommendations within the research utilization report
Researcher develops press releases and facts sheets on research findings
Researcher conducts interviews with news media on research findings
Researcher sends policy brief to key legislators and commissions
Researcher provides testimony citing research findings
Researcher writes political letters informing policymakers of findings
Researcher writes an editorial citing published studies or citing research findings
Researcher works with interested professional and other nonprofit organizations to compose a position paper that is disseminated or work with an organization to write and declare a proclamation or resolution that emphasizes research findings