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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Featured

5 tips for getting approached by the press

26/09/2014

Blog Posts

In this post, Anton Tsvetov outlines 5 tips for researchers who would like to be approached more often by the media for expert comment and opinion.

Anton Tsvetov

Building a strategy

Futures Thinking Tools from a Futurist’s Toolkit

20/09/2014

Blog Posts

This post highlights a number of ‘futures thinking’ tools which can provide assistance in improving decision-making, implementation and the ability to cope with future challenges.

Umar Sheraz

Engaging the public

TTI PEC virtual write shop: Writing letters to the editor that get published

19/09/2014

Blog Posts

The Think Tank Initiative’s Policy Engagement and Communications Program is hosting a Virtual Write Shop on “Writing letters to the editor that get published.”

Henna Mahmood

Featured

Theory of change week: Monitoring and Evaluation

18/09/2014

Audio & Video

In his second podcast this week, Andrew Clappison (R2A and CommsConsult) explains how your theory of change can be adapted into an effective means of monitoring and evaluating your success.

Research to Action

Featured

Theory of change week: Understanding assumptions

17/09/2014

Audio & Video

In this podcast, Andrew Clappison (R2A and CommsConsult) explains the importance of testing and reflecting upon the assumptions contained across your theory of change.

Research to Action

Featured

Theory of change week: Introduction to theory of change

16/09/2014

Audio & Video

Welcome to the Think Tank Policy Engagement and Communications Program’s theory of change week. To get us started, here is an excellent introduction to theory of change developed by Result for Development’s Senior Program Director Courtney Tolmie.

Research to Action

Featured

Welcome to theory of change week

15/09/2014

Blog Posts

This week, the TTI PEC programme, in association with R2A, is focusing in on some of the most useful resources and common questions that think tanks have in developing theories of change. Stay tuned-in for updates!

Research to Action

Engaging the public

Organising research evidence for real-time mobilisation

14/09/2014

Blog Posts

Susan Koshy (Centre for Studying Developing Societies) explores how you can organize your research evidence into streams of value that generate meaning and have enduring living properties?

Susan Koshy

Evidence into policy

Developing and implementing gender sensitive policies and programmes in Pakistan

08/09/2014

Papers & Reports

This post introduces a study into developing and implementing gender sensitive policies and programmes in Pakistan

Rafea Anis

Featured

Innovative approaches to communicating research

03/09/2014

Blog Posts

Communicating clearly and coherently is essential if non-technical audiences are to understand the significance of research findings. This post charts the changes CSTEP made to improve its research communications.

Arushi Sen

Working with the media

Researchers from the Institute of Rural Management Anand learn from policy brief and media workshop

03/09/2014

Papers & Reports

Researchers from the Institute of Rural Management Anand recently attended a from policy brief and media workshop. This post shares some of thier outputs.

Gagan Sethi

Featured

Accessing peer reviewed articles through open access

03/09/2014

Open Access Key Resources

Access to peer reviewed literature is a very important element in planning, designing and carrying out research. This resource developed as part of the Think Tank Initiative’s Policy Engagement and Communications Program, provides useful tips on open access resources.

Bhathiya Kekulandala

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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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