Using evidence: How research can inform public services - Softcover

Nutley, Sandra M.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1861346646 ISBN 13: 9781861346643

Publisher: Policy Press, 2007

Synopsis

Unusual book

About this title

Review

"Anyone who has ever written or uttered the words 'evidence-based policy' should read this outstanding book. So should anyone else who has hopes for increasing the rationality of policy or practice through reference to systematic inquiry. The volume unpacks the meanings and assumptions embedded in 'evidence-based policy', illustrates its successes and shortfalls, looks at alternative perspectives on the junction of research and practice, and suggests documented ways to improve the engagement of research with policy and practice. This sophisticated book will challenge some current beliefs and offer better grounded and more realistic aspirations." --Carol H. Weiss, Beatrice B. Whiting Professor Emerita, Harvard Graduate School of Education, US

From the Back Cover

There is widespread commitment across public service agencies in
the UK and elsewhere to ensuring that the best available evidence is used
to improve public services. The challenge is not only making research
evidence accessible and available but also getting it used.

This book provides a timely and novel contribution to understanding and
enhancing evidence use. It builds on and complements the popular and
best-selling What Works?: Evidence-based policy and practice in public
services (Davies, Nutley and Smith, Policy Press, 2000), by drawing
together current knowledge about how research gets used and how this can be
encouraged and improved. In particular, the authors:

· explore multidisciplinary frameworks for understanding the research
use agenda;
· consider how research use and the impact of research can be
assessed;
· summarise the empirical evidence from the education, health care,
social care and criminal justice fields about how research is used and how
this can be improved;
· draw out practical issues that need to be addressed if research is to
have greater impact on public services.

Using evidence is important reading for university and government
researchers, research funding bodies, public service managers and
professionals, and students of public policy and management. It will also
prove an invaluable guide for anyone involved in the implementation of
evidence-based policy and practice.

About this edition

• Publisher: Policy Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1861346646
• ISBN 13: 9781861346643
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 376