Title |
What makes an academic paper useful for health policy?
|
---|---|
Published in |
BMC Medicine, December 2015
|
DOI | 10.1186/s12916-015-0544-8 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Christopher J. M. Whitty |
Abstract |
Evidence-based policy ensures that the best interventions are effectively implemented. Integrating rigorous, relevant science into policy is therefore essential. Barriers include the evidence not being there; lack of demand by policymakers; academics not producing rigorous, relevant papers within the timeframe of the policy cycle. This piece addresses the last problem. Academics underestimate the speed of the policy process, and publish excellent papers after a policy decision rather than good ones before it. To be useful in policy, papers must be at least as rigorous about reporting their methods as for other academic uses. Papers which are as simple as possible (but no simpler) are most likely to be taken up in policy. Most policy questions have many scientific questions, from different disciplines, within them. The accurate synthesis of existing information is the most important single offering by academics to the policy process. Since policymakers are making economic decisions, economic analysis is central, as are the qualitative social sciences. Models should, wherever possible, allow policymakers to vary assumptions. Objective, rigorous, original studies from multiple disciplines relevant to a policy question need to be synthesized before being incorporated into policy. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 383 | 34% |
United States | 59 | 5% |
Australia | 48 | 4% |
Canada | 47 | 4% |
Ireland | 32 | 3% |
Spain | 19 | 2% |
India | 10 | <1% |
Switzerland | 7 | <1% |
Italy | 7 | <1% |
Other | 99 | 9% |
Unknown | 413 | 37% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 612 | 54% |
Scientists | 312 | 28% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 165 | 15% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 35 | 3% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 10 | 3% |
Canada | 2 | <1% |
Portugal | 1 | <1% |
Australia | 1 | <1% |
South Africa | 1 | <1% |
Sierra Leone | 1 | <1% |
France | 1 | <1% |
Sri Lanka | 1 | <1% |
Spain | 1 | <1% |
Other | 2 | <1% |
Unknown | 321 | 94% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Researcher | 74 | 22% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 51 | 15% |
Student > Master | 48 | 14% |
Other | 27 | 8% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 18 | 5% |
Other | 67 | 20% |
Unknown | 57 | 17% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 90 | 26% |
Social Sciences | 43 | 13% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 29 | 8% |
Psychology | 23 | 7% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 22 | 6% |
Other | 55 | 16% |
Unknown | 80 | 23% |