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

New science policy blog at ‘New Scientist’

09/12/2009

Blog Posts

Roger Highfield, editor of New Scientist, has started a new blog, ‘The S Word’, covering science and policy.  Science policymaking for international development hasn’t appeared…

Abdourahmane Idrissa

Featured

WikiHoles: Plugging the information gaps

06/12/2009

Blog Posts

Those of us with a good internet connection and questions to ask often turn to Wikipedia.

Abdourahmane Idrissa

Featured

New guidance on research communications

27/11/2009

Papers & Reports

DFID is a recognised leader among donors in its efforts to support and develop better research communications. A recent report ‘Learning Lessons on Research Uptake…

Abdourahmane Idrissa

Featured

CGIAR Science Communications Awards 2009

23/11/2009

News & Opportunities

Do you know of an outstanding bit of science communication by a CGIAR project or partner? If so, why don’t you give them a pat…

Abdourahmane Idrissa

Featured

Capturing and using effective information exchange patterns

22/11/2009

Papers & Reports

Few logframes effectively capture all – or even many – of the ways in which researchers are exchanging information. The absence of this element results…

Abdourahmane Idrissa

Featured

Open Access – What can DFID do?

16/11/2009

Open Access Blog Posts

There was a great deal of interest in the recent ‘Open Access Week’. DFID-funded researchers are asking themselves both what is expected of them and…

Abdourahmane Idrissa

Featured

Explosive adventures in podcasting

15/10/2009

Blog Posts

‘It’s more complicated that that’ must be the official war cry of scientists and researchers. I have a great deal of sympathy for you, having…

Abdourahmane Idrissa

Featured

Policymaker, policy maker, or policy-maker?

12/10/2009

Word processors have changed dramatically the way we all work. There is still a lot for editors to do, but today it is easier for…

Kimberly Clarke

Featured

Rational decision-making? It just doesn’t work that way…

24/09/2009

Blog Posts

The more I learn about the way people make decisions, the more I wish I’d studied psychology. We’ve evolved, but not as much as we…

Abdourahmane Idrissa

Featured

My policymaker doesn’t understand me…

18/09/2009

Audio & Video

Isn’t it always the way? Just when you think that you’re getting along like a house on fire, speaking the same language, enjoying a meeting…

Abdourahmane Idrissa

Featured

Katine: An ambitious mega-media development partnership

11/09/2009

Blog Posts

While many researchers and development projects struggle to get even a single relevant mention in their local newspaper, one project in Uganda has been receiving…

Abdourahmane Idrissa

Featured

Reaching out for research communicators

20/08/2009

Blog Posts

DFID funds a number of different organisations who are trying to help researchers communicate their work more effectively. This week we feature resources from two…

Abdourahmane Idrissa

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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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