{"title":"Bridging science and policy in the Global South: the Colombo Framework for Institutionalizing Science Advice.","authors":"Saroj Jayasinghe, Nadira Karunaweera, Nethmi Gunasekera, Lakmali Amarasiri, Ranjith Mahindapala, Nilwala Kottegoda, Priyan Dias","doi":"10.1332/17442648Y2026D000000082","DOIUrl":"10.1332/17442648Y2026D000000082","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The COVID-19 pandemic - and the inconsistent government responses it revealed - has made the institutionalisation of robust Science Advice to Policymakers (SAP) an urgent imperative. Barring exceptions such as initiatives by the International Network for Governmental Science Advice, very few training programmes aim to develop capacity of policy makers, especially in the Global South. In response to these needs, the National Academy of Sciences of Sri Lanka and the Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia (AASSA), conducted a project titled Institutionalising Science Advice to Governments. Its key objectives was to develop an appropriate framework to understand the process of institutionalisation of SAP. The Colombo Framework so developed integrated four clusters: the SAP process; guiding values and principles; supporting institutional and legislative structures; and evaluating SAP. It was validated by experts and used for designing a questionnaire to assess current SAP practices across AASSA member countries which enabled data gathering on the diversity of models of SAP, their challenges and best practices. The framework also helped structure an international workshop to share country-level situation analyses, formulate roadmaps for implementation and build consensus on the relevance of institutionalising SAP. The latter culminated in the Colombo Declaration, urging governments to strengthen science-policy engagements. Short-term and long-term feedback from participants indicated high utility of the framework for understanding and operationalising SAP in diverse contexts. The framework offers a systematic approach for countries, especially in the Asia-Pacific region, to institutionalise SAP and for scientists to gain in-depth understanding of the process.</p>","PeriodicalId":51652,"journal":{"name":"Evidence & Policy","volume":" ","pages":"301-316"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147370732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Evidence & PolicyPub Date : 2026-03-02DOI: 10.1332/17442648Y2026D000000080
Irene N Fierloos, Arwin van Buuren, Lysanne W Te Brinke
{"title":"Understanding public officials' attitudes towards youth participation in public policy.","authors":"Irene N Fierloos, Arwin van Buuren, Lysanne W Te Brinke","doi":"10.1332/17442648Y2026D000000080","DOIUrl":"10.1332/17442648Y2026D000000080","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Despite the development of numerous approaches to organise youth participation in public policy, actual opportunities remain limited. This study explores which factors help explain public officials' attitudes towards youth participation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Nineteen in-depth interviews were conducted with public officials at the City of Rotterdam who are involved in policy domains related to youth and/or participation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Most respondents agree on the importance of youth participation in policy. However, the extent to which they consider this an essential part of the policy cycle varies. At an individual level, public officials' attitudes can be explained by (1) their beliefs regarding the value of youth participation, (2) their perceptions about children and adolescents, (3) their confidence in their own skills to get started with youth participation, and (4) their ability to let go of control. At a contextual level, public officials' attitudes can be explained by (5) the municipal vision regarding youth participation, (6) the organisational structure and the availability of time and resources, (7) culture, and (8) political changes and pressure. These factors are interrelated and may reinforce each other.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Public officials' attitudes towards youth participation in public policy can be explained by interrelated individual and contextual factors. To foster meaningful youth participation, clusters of barriers that currently prevent public officials from including the perspectives of youth need to be addressed. By actively dismantling these barriers, municipalities can move towards truly inclusive policy frameworks.</p>","PeriodicalId":51652,"journal":{"name":"Evidence & Policy","volume":" ","pages":"442-462"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147370725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Drive for equity: the impact of youth-generated evidence on transportation policy.","authors":"Dane Stickney, Milahd Makooi, Emilleo Moralez-Baldizan, Asherah Adler-Eldridge, Reina Cruz, Caleb Burns","doi":"10.1332/17442648Y2026D000000081","DOIUrl":"10.1332/17442648Y2026D000000081","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) offers a powerful approach for young people to analyse, critique and mobilise for equity within adult-controlled transportation systems. This article, authored by an intergenerational team (students, teachers and a university researcher) utilising a collective autoethnographic approach, examines two school-based YPAR projects in Denver, Colorado, that sought to influence local transportation policy. One addresses a deadly street, and the other insufficient bus services. Findings suggest that youth policy demands achieved greater success when they were clearly articulated with actionable solutions, grounded in data reflecting young people's lived experiences of the problem, and presented to adult decision-makers who were willing to genuinely listen and act. The cases also highlight the compelling potential for in-school YPAR initiatives to drive tangible social and policy change in the surrounding community. Ultimately, transportation inequities serve as a critical opportunity for youth and civic leaders to meaningfully collaborate and enact inclusive systemic reform.</p>","PeriodicalId":51652,"journal":{"name":"Evidence & Policy","volume":" ","pages":"402-422"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146194640","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Politics of neutrality: intermediaries and research use in civics programming.","authors":"Mariah Kornbluh, Sherry Bell, Raquel Amador, Gabi Garcia","doi":"10.1332/17442648Y2026D000000079","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1332/17442648Y2026D000000079","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Intermediary actors navigate a complex political ecological landscape in which specific policies, contexts and sociopolitical events create 'pull factors' in the curation, suppression and dissemination of information utilised to inform school decision-making (Lubienski et al, 2014). Applying the political ecology framework of Scott and colleagues (2018), this article explores the role of politics and power structures in the dissemination and utilisation of research evidence within civics educational programming.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data sources include 84 interviews conducted with 39 intermediary actors (non-profits, state departments, university centres, philanthropies, and for-profit sectors) and 45 educational decision-makers (principals, subject coordinators and lead teachers). Data analysis involved qualitative (thematic analysis) methods to unpack power narratives.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>The positionality of the intermediary actors, the local district climate, and larger state and national politics fostered a desire to select research that supported civics programming identified as 'neutral'. Such curriculum avoided discourse around pressing social issues, maintained the status quo and focused on the historic foundations of government rather than a more applied action focus. Rationales justifying such decision-making emphasised the importance of stepping in to protect educators from potential community and parental backlash.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Pre-emptive gatekeeping contributes to research misuse, as civics scholarship has documented the value of discussing social issues relevant to young people's lives (Clay and Rubin, 2020). Such decision-making has notable implications in relation to critical programming that is reflective of and fully meets the needs of students lived realities (Mirra and Garcia, 2017).</p>","PeriodicalId":51652,"journal":{"name":"Evidence & Policy","volume":" ","pages":"1-28"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146133459","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Evidence & PolicyPub Date : 2026-01-22DOI: 10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000077
Joni Forsell, Jarmo Kallunki, Katri Eeva Di Minin
{"title":"Co-producing evidence in Finnish higher education admissions working groups.","authors":"Joni Forsell, Jarmo Kallunki, Katri Eeva Di Minin","doi":"10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000077","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000077","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We examine how a selection of working groups established by the Ministry of Education and Culture in Finland co-produced evidence for higher education student admissions reform between 2016 and 2019 to promote the government's political goals. These goals included accelerating transitions from tertiary education to working life by reforming how students applied for and were selected by universities. In Finland, government's working groups aim to promote evidence-based policy making. In these groups, stakeholders can work with public officials to develop ideas for advancing the government's political goals. We approach working groups as a site of co-production whose members collectively produce and assess evidence. We analysed documentary data and interviewed ten key informants in working groups, using qualitative content analysis to highlight relevant themes. Our results show that co-production in working groups was actualised during writing. A political and corporatist frame steers which information is used. Public officials play a key role in selecting which information is taken up, relying on stakeholders' experience and expertise. In the co-production process, public officials learn of stakeholders' interests, while stakeholders learn about the political will concerning Finnish higher education policy. Members prioritise and assess evidence based on whose interests it serves. Our study contributes to understanding the politics of evidence use, and how co-production is used to drive the government's political goals.</p>","PeriodicalId":51652,"journal":{"name":"Evidence & Policy","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146042204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Evidence & PolicyPub Date : 2026-01-19DOI: 10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000078
Annette Boaz, Kathryn Oliver
{"title":"Supporting policy through research funding: how UK funders can use Areas of Research Interest to bridge evidence gaps.","authors":"Annette Boaz, Kathryn Oliver","doi":"10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000078","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000078","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Supporting the use of research evidence in policy making is a perennial challenge. A key theme in the literature is the importance of the production and mobilisation of research that is relevant to policy needs. Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) are an example of a UK government lever designed to support the production of policy-relevant research. The often-overlooked role of research funders in this process forms the focus of this article.</p><p><strong>Aims and objectives: </strong>This article looks at the ways in which ARIs act as a mechanism for negotiation and interaction between government and research funders in order to mobilise existing research and to connect government research interests with the priorities of research funders.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with academic researchers, research funders, government officials and knowledge mobilisers.</p><p><strong>Findings and discussion: </strong>ARIs provide a systematic and transparent set of policy research needs which can be used to support cross-government discussions to inform funding processes, both in terms of new research investments and mobilising existing funded research. While funders were committed to knowledge mobilisation, they can lack the skills and capacity required to implement it effectively. That is not to underestimate the volume of time and work required to support this process. While technical developments are likely to help, we argue that this will need to be complemented by a significant amount of relational work to understand and engage with the research needs of government officials and to support the interpretation and use of existing research.</p>","PeriodicalId":51652,"journal":{"name":"Evidence & Policy","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146042208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Evidence & PolicyPub Date : 2026-01-19DOI: 10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000076
Maithreyi Gopalan, Francesca Lopez, Alia Shalaby, Elisa Serrano, Giselle Delcid
{"title":"Countermeasures to misinformation: lessons from the social sciences and applications to education in the United States.","authors":"Maithreyi Gopalan, Francesca Lopez, Alia Shalaby, Elisa Serrano, Giselle Delcid","doi":"10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000076","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We synthesise evidence from about 400 studies on mis/disinformation published between 2010 and 2024, drawing on research from across the social sciences. Despite widespread misinformation related to education, we find few studies that focus on how it spreads or how to address 'systemic misinformation' in this context. Building on prior syntheses (Blair et al, 2024), we categorise the main strategies used to fight misinformation in the United States across various domains such as public health, climate change and science communication into four types: informational, educational, sociopsychological and institutional. We then assess which of these approaches, widely studied in other fields, might be most useful to thwart misinformation in the uniquely decentralised world of US public education. As past research has shown, informational strategies - like fact-checking, pre-bunking and labelling content for credibility - are the most studied. However, their success depends on many factors, such as the setting, how the message is delivered, the topic and the audience's beliefs. Educational approaches, like media literacy programmes, show some promise, but have predominantly worked in reducing online misinformation only. Interestingly, we find that sociopsychological and institutional strategies, though less studied - may be especially promising for addressing misinformation in US K-12 education. These approaches may be key in countering organised campaigns that contest equity-focused evidence-based teaching practices. We close by identifying ways to fill current research gaps and suggest combining the most effective elements of different strategies to examine what works - and in which contexts - when it comes to tackling misinformation in education.</p>","PeriodicalId":51652,"journal":{"name":"Evidence & Policy","volume":" ","pages":"1-25"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146042266","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Evidence & PolicyPub Date : 2026-01-12DOI: 10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000075
Fiona Cowdell, Laura Swaithes, Helen Nankervis, Una Kerin, Judith Dyson
{"title":"Knowledge-to-care: is there a best way of support practitioners to getting evidence into practice? An ongoing debate.","authors":"Fiona Cowdell, Laura Swaithes, Helen Nankervis, Una Kerin, Judith Dyson","doi":"10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000075","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Getting evidence into practice remains a stubborn problem. To get knowledge-to-care (K2C) we identify five 'impact components': improvement science, implementation science, knowledge mobilisation, patient and public involvement and engagement, and co-working. In this article we have (1) provided a simple definition for each component, (2) established an overview of whom, what, when, where, why and how components have been reported and/or combined in published literature, and (3) enhanced understanding of how components are selected and combined. We (1) identified seminal papers to capture common definitions of components of impact, their synonyms and evolution, (2) sampled the most relevant papers (searching CINAHL and Medline, from 2018 to 2021) to map the landscape where one or more impact component had been applied in empirical research, (3) conducted focus groups and (4) a survey to deepen our understanding of these issues from practitioner and researcher perspectives. We found differentiation between components difficult due to multiple definitions and overlapping features. Workshops and survey demonstrate blurred application of components with participants drawing on a common pool of strategies to influence practice. Our future intention is to develop strategies to support practitioners to advance uptake of evidence-based care by demystifying the 'science' of components and how they may be applied in practice. To this end, we invite debate regarding the questions: How do we 'science up' without hindering application of implementation science (impS), improvement science (impR) and knowledge mobilisation (KMb) in practice? Are the differences between impS, impR and KMb real, or simply in the eye of the beholder? Is there a need to go beyond the potentially 'tribal' labels of impR, impS and KMb and consider more deeply specific ways of working?</p>","PeriodicalId":51652,"journal":{"name":"Evidence & Policy","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145991692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The effects of youth participatory action research on education policy: a mixed methods study of three dozen high school projects.","authors":"Adam Voight, Rosalinda Godínez, Xiaona Jin, Amirhassan Javadi, Marissa Panzarella, Katelyne Griffin-Todd","doi":"10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000074","DOIUrl":"10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000074","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Youth participatory action research (YPAR) engages students as co-researchers to investigate issues affecting their schools and advocate for institutional change. Although prior studies document YPAR's developmental benefits, less is known about the conditions that enable school-level impact.</p><p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study examines the frequency and predictors of perceived setting-level change across 36 YPAR projects implemented in diverse Midwestern high schools.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using a mixed-methods design, we analysed survey data and focus group transcripts from student participants. Quantitative analyses tested how project strategies, stakeholder responsiveness, student ownership and issue focus related to reported success. Qualitative analyses explored contextual mechanisms underlying these relationships.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Regression analyses indicated that projects incorporating policy advocacy and administrative engagement were significantly more likely to effect school-level change. Qualitative findings highlighted the importance of adult allies who help youth navigate institutional systems and elevate their research. Projects aligned with administrative priorities (for example, school safety, postsecondary readiness) achieved greater success than those addressing diffuse or complex issues such as mental health or school culture.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Successful YPAR initiatives combined high student ownership with strategic adult facilitation and institutional receptivity. Findings underscore the value of aligning youth-led research with organisational priorities and providing structured opportunities for students to present findings to decision-makers.</p>","PeriodicalId":51652,"journal":{"name":"Evidence & Policy","volume":" ","pages":"350-373"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145991621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Evidence & PolicyPub Date : 2026-01-07DOI: 10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000070
Jakob Edler, Maria Karaulova, Erlend Osland Simensen, Taran Mari Thune
{"title":"How do institutional conditions influence research use by policy makers?","authors":"Jakob Edler, Maria Karaulova, Erlend Osland Simensen, Taran Mari Thune","doi":"10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000070","DOIUrl":"10.1332/17442648Y2025D000000070","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Effective use of research in policy making is essential to address persistent societal challenges and respond to emerging issues. While much is known about individual preferences and practices of policy-maker research use, the structuring role of institutionalised influences remains less understood. This article addresses that gap by examining how institutional conditions shape research use in policy making, drawing on survey data from 1,606 respondents in Norwegian ministries and directorates. We analyse policy makers' perceptions of four types of institutional conditions - formal instruction, financial and infrastructural support, peer environment, and informal encouragement - and their relationship to instrumental, conceptual and symbolic uses of research. The findings show that encouraging institutional conditions are stronger determinants of research use than enabling ones, and that the distinction between formal and informal conditions matters. Formal instruction is associated with conceptual use, supporting long-term reflection and planning, while informal encouragement is more strongly linked to instrumental use in short-term, time-constrained policy tasks.</p>","PeriodicalId":51652,"journal":{"name":"Evidence & Policy","volume":" ","pages":"270-300"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145946763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}