Interdisciplinary research and policy impacts: Assessing the significance of knowledge coproduction

Abstract

Research impact on various societal spheres has been increasingly demanded for funding purposes and as a form of demonstrating the relevance of scientific research for societal problems. In this context, interest in interdisciplinary research and knowledge coproduction has grown as a path to achieve this expected impact, but few studies have considered its conjoint association with societal impact. This article investigates how academic research undertaken in interdisciplinary groups impacts public policies. To this end, we used a multiple case study strategy (involving three broad interdisciplinary research groups) to understand how the differences regarding knowledge coproduction with policy actors were relevant to explain differences in research impacts: instrumental, conceptual, symbolic and capacity-building. All the groups studied presented some type of impact in public policies, with emphasis on conceptual impact. The importance of knowledge coproduction was highlighted in two broad interdisciplinary groups since they stood out with more instrumental impacts compared to the other one. We argue that the combination of broad interdisciplinarity of the group together with the coproduction of knowledge with policymakers as co-researchers produces research that has more impact on the public policy community, especially translated as instrumental impact.

Collaborative sustainability planning for an outcome measure in outpatient stroke rehabilitation: A qualitative description study

“…Collectively, these objectives addressed all stakeholders' needs in the MPAI‐4 project. That is, they are shared objectives that the team has and will continue to unite behind over the long‐term 66 because they will continue to result in more usable knowledge and tangible outcomes for all stakeholders 67–69 . Participants in this study indicated that identifying shared objectives was essential to the collaborative sustainability planning process.…”

“…That is, they are shared objectives that the team has and will continue to unite behind over the long-term 66 because they will continue to result in more usable knowledge and tangible outcomes for all stakeholders. [67][68][69] Participants in this study indicated that identifying shared objectives was essential to the collaborative sustainability planning process. This is consistent with the work of Smith et al, who suggest that insufficient support and/or objective misalignment with stakeholder needs would threaten sustainment.…”

Why do some academic articles receive more citations from policy communities?

“…It offers ideas and frameworks that shape citizen preferences and rationality amid increasing political complexities (Shulock, 1999, p. 240;Weiss, 1977). Moreover, scholars suggest that collaboration with practitioners is a prerequisite for other factors, such as interdisciplinarity, to effectively influence public policy (de Sandes-Guimarães et al, 2022). Science alone is unlikely to provide definitive guidance on most of the urgent issues our societies face.…”

Evaluating Research for Development: Innovation to Navigate Complexity

“…Specific approaches to exploring these relational dynamics are gaining ground, for example, appreciating the processes of co-production in interdisciplinary research programmes (de Sandes-Guimarães et al 2022 ). Processes of co-production are premised on productive and equitable collaborations across actors—in other words the internal ‘ways of working’.…”