Research to Action

The Global Guide to Research Impact

Navigation

  • Home

  • How To ▾

    This list of how to’s provides an essential guide for a number of key communication and engagement activities that will help make your research travel.

    • Building Capacity
    • Policy Briefs
    • Research Impact
    • Theory of Change
    • Uptake Strategy
  • Topics ▾

    • AEN Evidence 23
    • Eye on 2022
    • Impact Practitioners
    • Knowing your audience ▸
      • Building a strategy
      • Engaging policy audiences ▸
        • EBPDN
        • Targeting policy actors
        • Targeting practitioners
      • Stakeholder mapping
      • Strategic communication ▸
        • Building a brand
        • Engaging the public
      • Working with the media
    • Making your research accessible ▸
      • Framing challenges
      • Knowledge translation
      • Learning in context
      • Open access
      • Presenting your research
      • Using digital tools ▸
        • Using multi media
        • Using online tools/ICTs
        • Using social media
      • Using intermediaries
    • Monitoring and evaluation ▸
      • Applying M&E methods
      • Evidence into policy
      • Measuring success
    • Uncategorized
  • Dialogue Spaces ▾

    • Youth Inclusion and Engagement Space
    • AEN Evidence
    • GDN: Doing Research
    • Manchester Policy Week 2015
    • TTI Exchange 2015
    • Strengthening Institutions to Improve Public Expenditure Accountability (GDN PEM Project)
    • DFID/AusAid Research Communication and Uptake Workshop
    • 3ie Policy Influence and Monitoring (PIM) project
    • Policy Engagement and Communications (PEC) Programme
  • Reading Lists

  • Impact Practitioners

    • Impact Practitioners overview
    • Capacity Building
    • Communication and Engagement
    • Frameworks
    • Indicators
    • Learning
    • Monitoring and Evaluation
    • Policy Impact
    • Strategy
    • Theoretical
    • Utilisation

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Vimeo

Looking back, peering forward: our 2025 journey

As 2025 draws to a close, we’d like to take a moment to pause and look back on the past year at...

Why development research needs a new publishing paradigm

The promise of open access once offered a path toward equity in development research. However, as highlighted in a recent INASP policy...

Kathryn Oliver on rethinking evidence use

Back in October, Professor Kathryn Oliver delivered an insightful lecture on one of the big questions in our field. Individuals, organisations, and...

Job Opportunity: Director at the Africa Evidence Network (AEN)

More than a decade ago, a group of people passionate about generating and using evidence in Africa, for Africa, got together over...

Evidence is everybody’s story

In a world drowning in data, the promise of ‘evidence-based practice’ often feels distant. For many, evidence remains something that is done...

  • Previous
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • Next

Strategic communication

Women in Consulting Podcast – Listen now!

11/01/2023

Women in Consulting logo Blog Posts

The Women in Consulting Podcast supports women consulting in the international development and social impact space. Created by the Women’s Consulting Workshop founders Helen Marati…

Isobel Fisher

Engaging policy audiences

Digital Engagement Officer, Action Against Hunger – London, Hybrid: Deadline 26 January

09/01/2023

R2A opportunity logo Blog post

Digital Engagement Officer, Action Against Hunger UK Deadline: Midnight (UK time), 26 January, 2023 Location: London, Greater London (Hybrid) Interview date: 15 February, 2023 Salary:…

Research to Action

Impact Practitioners

What do researchers think about societal impact?

05/01/2023

Blog Posts

This 20-page academic paper by Benedikt Fecher and Marcel Hebing studies what researchers think about achieving societal impact. To find out how researchers approach societal…

Karolina Bohacova

Engaging the public

Senior Communications Assistant (Communication with Communities), UNHCR: Peru – Deadline 14 January

02/01/2023

R2A opportunity logo Blog Posts

Senior Communications Assistant (Communication with Communities), UNHCR Deadline: 14th January 2023Location: Lima, PeruStart Date: 1st February 2023Other: must be Peruvian Nationals or must be legally…

Research to Action

Impact Practitioners

Three steps to fruitful communication with policymakers

29/12/2022

Blog Posts

This 8-page academic paper by researchers Paul Cairney and Richard Kwiatkowski presents a three-step strategy to help you communicate with policymakers more effectively. The authors…

Karolina Bohacova

Impact Practitioners

Nine lessons for successful research uptake from ‘What Works’ programme

22/12/2022

Blog Posts

This 12-page academic paper reflects on research uptake approaches used by the multi-country What Works to Prevent Violence against Women and Girls Programme (What Works)…

Karolina Bohacova

Making your research accessible

Supporting excellence in engaged research

21/12/2022

Blog Posts

This open access paper by Richard Holliman reviews the purposes, definitions, and criteria designed to embed ‘engaged research’ as a strategic priority with universities, and…

Isobel Fisher

Strategic communication

ABSW travel grants to attend the World Conference of Science Journalists 2023

19/12/2022

R2A graphic saying "opportunity 2022" Blog Posts

ABSW (Association of British Science Writers) travel grants to attend the World Conference of Science Journalists 2023 Deadline: 31 December, 2022 Location: Medellín, Colombia Grant…

Research to Action

Impact Practitioners

The importance of partnerships for achieving impact

15/12/2022

Blog Posts

This 16-page academic paper written by Sarah Morton focuses on the role of research partnerships in creating impact. It describes three case studies in which…

Karolina Bohacova

Strategic communication

Digital Platform to maximise visual storytelling

14/12/2022

Blog Posts

Exposure is a platform that helps you tell visual stories. You can use Exposure to create visual content, share it with your audience, and track…

Isobel Fisher

Strategic communication

Communications Associate, Malala Fund: New York City or Washington DC, US – Deadline 30 December

12/12/2022

R2A graphic saying "opportunity 2022" Blog Posts

Communications Associate, Malala Fund Deadline: 30 December, 2022 Location: New York City or Washington DC, US Term: Full time, Permanent Salary: $56,700 to $60,100 Other: Please note…

Research to Action

Impact Practitioners

How to design research uptake strategy: lessons from High Volume Transport case study

08/12/2022

Blog Posts

This 11-page report by the development consultancy IMC presents the notes taken from the research uptake strategy for the High Volume Transport Applied Research Programme…

Karolina Bohacova

  • Previous
  • 1
  • …
  • 16
  • 17
  • 18
  • 19
  • 20
  • …
  • 86
  • Next

Contribute Write a blog post, post a job or event, recommend a resource

Partner with Us Are you an institution looking to increase your impact?

Most Recent Posts

  • Looking back, peering forward: our 2025 journey
  • Why development research needs a new publishing paradigm
  • Kathryn Oliver on rethinking evidence use
  • Job Opportunity: Director at the Africa Evidence Network (AEN)
  • Evidence is everybody’s story

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re pausing to reflect at Research to Action (R2A) ✨

This year, 27,000+ readers from 188 countries joined us in exploring how research can better inform action — reading, sharing, and asking thoughtful questions along the way 🌍📚

Despite a challenging year for international development, our community leaned into conversations about:
📊 Impact and learning
🔄 Knowledge brokering & evidence use
🤖 AI and the future of research

What inspired us most was how you engaged — with curiosity, care, and a commitment to making evidence matter.

✨ Looking ahead, we remain focused on creating space for reflection, learning, and meaningful exchange — together.

Thank you for being part of the journey. Here’s to another year of curiosity and impact 💛

🔗 Link in bio to read our full reflection

#ResearchToAction #EvidenceInPractice #ResearchImpact #KnowledgeSharing #EndOfYearReflection #GlobalCommunity

In our latest blog Inés Arangüena breaks down the Researcher Impact Framework (RIF) — a super practical way to show the real-world impact behind research, not just the publication count.

✨ Why it’s worth a read:
💡 Clearly explain the difference your work makes
📚 Connect outcomes to real evidence + activity
🤝 Highlight impact through collaboration, knowledge sharing & community
📊 Use metrics that actually matter (not just journal impact factors!)

If you’re a researcher, communicator, or anyone trying to share the story behind your work… this framework is a game-changer.

🔗 Link in bio to read the full blog!

#ResearchImpact #KnowledgeTranslation #DataDrivenStorytelling #AcademicCommunications #ImpactNarratives Trinity College Dublin

In our latest blog Inés Arangüena breaks down the Researcher Impact Framework (RIF) — a super practical way to show the real-world impact behind research, not just the publication count.

✨ Why it’s worth a read:
💡 Clearly explain the difference your work makes
📚 Connect outcomes to real evidence + activity
🤝 Highlight impact through collaboration, knowledge sharing & community
📊 Use metrics that actually matter (not just journal impact factors!)

If you’re a researcher, communicator, or anyone trying to share the story behind your work… this framework is a game-changer.

🔗 Link in bio to read the full blog!

#ResearchImpact #KnowledgeTranslation #DataDrivenStorytelling #AcademicCommunications #ImpactNarratives Trinity College Dublin

Revisiting a 2022 article by Tebby Leepile this International Week of Science and Peace. It dives into the challenge of scaling implementation science: too big becomes unsustainable, too small makes little impact. 🌍🔬

How do we find the balance that leads to real change?

Full article in linktree just click #R2AArchive 🔗

#ScienceForPeace #InternationalWeekOfScienceAndPeace #ImplementationScience #SustainableDevelopment #ScaleUpImpact  #FromDataToImpact  #InnovationForGood

Revisiting a 2022 article by Tebby Leepile this International Week of Science and Peace. It dives into the challenge of scaling implementation science: too big becomes unsustainable, too small makes little impact. 🌍🔬

How do we find the balance that leads to real change?

Full article in linktree just click #R2AArchive 🔗

#ScienceForPeace #InternationalWeekOfScienceAndPeace #ImplementationScience #SustainableDevelopment #ScaleUpImpact #FromDataToImpact #InnovationForGood


About Us

Research To Action (R2A) is a learning platform for anyone interested in maximising the impact of research and capturing evidence of impact.

The site publishes practical resources on a range of topics including research uptake, communications, policy influence and monitoring and evaluation. It captures the experiences of practitioners and researchers working on these topics and facilitates conversations between this global community through a range of social media platforms.

R2A is produced by a small editorial team, led by CommsConsult. We welcome suggestions for and contributions to the site.

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Cookies
  • Contribute

Subscribe to our newsletter!

Our contributors

  • Paula Fray
  • Shubha Jayaram
  • Sue Martin
  • Maria Balarin
  • James Harvey
  • Emily Hayter
  • Susan Koshy
  • Ronald Munatsi
  • Ajoy Datta

Browse all authors

Friends and partners

  • AuthorAid
  • Global Development Network (GDN)
  • INASP
  • Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
  • International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie)
  • ODI RAPID
  • On Think Tanks
  • Politics & Ideas
  • Research for Development (R4D)
  • Research Impact

Copyright © 2026 Research to Action. All rights reserved. Log in