Policy Press
Six What can we learn from the literature on learning, knowledge management and the diffusion of innovations?
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Abstract
There is an emerging view that strategies and interventions aimed at promoting research use are most effective when underpinned by an appropriate theoretical framework. The previous chapter identified what some of these may be and summarised some of the evidence for their effects from research studies of research use. However, theorising in this area is not yet well developed. This chapter considers three additional bodies of theory and evidence that can inform the design of strategies to promote research use but which have not yet been widely applied in this area. These are learning, knowledge management and the diffusion of innovations.
Considering research use from a learning perspective encourages us to think carefully about processes of knowledge acquisition within individuals and across groups and organisations. Alternatively, if knowledge management is our perspective then attention is drawn to the ways in which knowledge is captured and shared within organisations. Finally, a diffusion of innovations perspective focuses attention on the spread and adoption of ideas across populations of individuals and organisations. Learning, knowledge management and the diffusion of innovations are then all concerned to a greater or lesser extent with understanding the acquisition, spread and enactment of ideas and knowledge, concerns that are central to understanding research use. Of course there are other bodies of theory and evidence with the potential to offer further insights into strategies for improving research use, such as the literature on marketing and communication, which could also be explored. However, we concentrate on learning, knowledge management and the diffusion of innovations because they seem particularly relevant to understanding the complex, dynamic and interactive nature of research use.
Abstract
There is an emerging view that strategies and interventions aimed at promoting research use are most effective when underpinned by an appropriate theoretical framework. The previous chapter identified what some of these may be and summarised some of the evidence for their effects from research studies of research use. However, theorising in this area is not yet well developed. This chapter considers three additional bodies of theory and evidence that can inform the design of strategies to promote research use but which have not yet been widely applied in this area. These are learning, knowledge management and the diffusion of innovations.
Considering research use from a learning perspective encourages us to think carefully about processes of knowledge acquisition within individuals and across groups and organisations. Alternatively, if knowledge management is our perspective then attention is drawn to the ways in which knowledge is captured and shared within organisations. Finally, a diffusion of innovations perspective focuses attention on the spread and adoption of ideas across populations of individuals and organisations. Learning, knowledge management and the diffusion of innovations are then all concerned to a greater or lesser extent with understanding the acquisition, spread and enactment of ideas and knowledge, concerns that are central to understanding research use. Of course there are other bodies of theory and evidence with the potential to offer further insights into strategies for improving research use, such as the literature on marketing and communication, which could also be explored. However, we concentrate on learning, knowledge management and the diffusion of innovations because they seem particularly relevant to understanding the complex, dynamic and interactive nature of research use.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of boxes, figures and tables vi
- Acknowledgements x
- Using evidence – introducing the issues 1
- What does it mean to ‘use’ research evidence? 33
- What shapes the use of research? 61
- Descriptive models of the research impact process 91
- Improving the use of research: what’s been tried and what might work? 125
- What can we learn from the literature on learning, knowledge management and the diffusion of innovations? 155
- Improving research use in practice contexts 195
- Improving research use in policy contexts 231
- How can we assess research use and wider research impact? 271
- Drawing some conclusions on Using evidence 297
- References 321
- Index 355
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents iii
- List of boxes, figures and tables vi
- Acknowledgements x
- Using evidence – introducing the issues 1
- What does it mean to ‘use’ research evidence? 33
- What shapes the use of research? 61
- Descriptive models of the research impact process 91
- Improving the use of research: what’s been tried and what might work? 125
- What can we learn from the literature on learning, knowledge management and the diffusion of innovations? 155
- Improving research use in practice contexts 195
- Improving research use in policy contexts 231
- How can we assess research use and wider research impact? 271
- Drawing some conclusions on Using evidence 297
- References 321
- Index 355
