A Research Agenda for Making Evidence Useful, Usable, and Used

Abstract

Despite growing investments in evidence-based policymaking, a significant gap remains between the production of policy-relevant research and the use of evidence to impact policy. This article argues that overcoming this production-adoption gap requires reconceptualizing evidence adoption as a series of behavioral and organizational hurdles that determine whether evidence is useful, usable, and, ultimately, used. Drawing on a large interdisciplinary literature, we develop a unified framework and highlight key gaps in our understanding of each of these critical stages for bringing evidence to scale. We conclude by outlining a research agenda for advancing our understanding why a production-adoption gap persists and knowledge of “what works” to increase evidence adoption – which, together, are essential for ensuring that the evidence-based policymaking movement meets its promise of improving societal outcomes.