Abstract
This paper discusses briefly the difficulty of translating scientific research findings in nutrition into operational intervention programmes and concludes that the conceptualization, conduct, and dissemination of results of research must be oriented toward the intended uses of the results.
Individuals who work in development agencies often have difficulty using research results. It is not just a question of language or jargon. It is often difficult to see exactly why some findings would make any difference to nutrition programmes. In the typical project-development process, the scientific justification for choosing an intervention is a minor concern to a task manager. He or she must be more concerned with institutional capacity, financing, training supervision, and, of course, getting the loan approved on time. In other words, the process is more important than the content, within an acceptable range. Nonetheless, there are ways to improve the likelihood that scientific research will influence policies and programmes.