Research to Action

The Global Guide to Research Impact

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    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.

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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...

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Open access

Open and closed access explained

07/12/2022

Blog Posts

What’s open access, what’s closed, and what’s in between? Figuring it all out can be complicated and confusing. This clever Venn diagram by Ian Farquharson…

Isobel Fisher

Strategic communication

Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist, UNIDO: Vienna, Austria – Deadline 20 December

05/12/2022

R2A graphic saying "opportunity 2022" Blog Posts

Communications and Knowledge Management Specialist, UNIDO Deadline: 20 December, 2022 Location: Vienna, Austria Term: Consultancy Other: Female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply The United Nations…

Isobel Fisher

Impact Practitioners

Assessing research impact in three steps: case study from Ukraine

01/12/2022

Blog Posts

This 4-page case study written by Sarah Morton and Jennie Flemming introduces the Research Contribution Framework (RCF) for impact evaluation and applies the method to…

Karolina Bohacova

Impact Practitioners

Reviewing advice for policy influence: The dos and don’ts

24/11/2022

Blog Posts

This 11-page systematic review  by researchers Kathryn Oliver and Paul Cairney reviews over 80 practical resources on how to influence policymaking. The authors included academic,…

Karolina Bohacova

Strategic communication

Showcasing impact from around the world – CanWaCH Impact Stories

23/11/2022

Blog Posts

The Canadian Partnership for Women and Children’s Health (CanWaCH) is a proud membership of more than 100 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academic institutions, health professional associations,…

Isobel Fisher

Strategic communication

Rethinking Policy Impact in Higher Education

23/11/2022

Royal Society Edinburgh logo Blog Posts

The Rethinking Policy Impact Project publishes its final report with recommendations for REF, other funders, and Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The Rethinking Policy Impact project…

Research to Action

Impact Practitioners

Review of impact assessment tools and four things to consider when choosing them

17/11/2022

Impact Practitioners Logo for resource 7 Blog Posts

This 16-page narrative review published in BMC Medicine studies the strengths and limitations of different methods of measuring research impact. It provides readers with an…

Karolina Bohacova

Learning in context

Using Wikipedia to disseminate health research: Free online seminar – 22 November

16/11/2022

Blog Posts

Wikipedia’s reputation as a reliable source of information has faced challenges over the years. This seminar reveals how Wikipedia can be used to disseminate research…

Isobel Fisher

Impact Practitioners

Program and Policy Change framework: new tool for evaluating research for development

10/11/2022

Blog Posts

This 13-page academic paper presents the Program and Policy Change (PPC) framework, a new tool for measuring the use and impact of research in low-and…

Karolina Bohacova

Making your research accessible

Research for All – The open access journal

09/11/2022

Logo of Research for All journal Blog Posts

Research for All is an open-access, peer-reviewed, online journal co-sponsored by IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, and the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public…

Isobel Fisher

Engaging the public

Using questionnaires as a research tool

04/11/2022

Blog Posts

Think tanks routinely engage with stakeholders to gather information which is then analysed to develop evidence-based reports and policy recommendations. Identifying appropriate research tools and…

Annapoorna Ravichander

Impact Practitioners

Top tips for writing impactful policy briefs

03/11/2022

Impact Practitioners logo image for 6th article Blog Posts

This 14-page scoping review by Diana Arnautu and Christian Dagenais, two scientists at the University of Montreal, looks at the use and effectiveness of policy…

Karolina Bohacova

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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.

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