How Can Research Findings Be Made More Accessible to Practitioners - Case Study Example

The Accessibility and Relevance of Research to Practitioners Introduction Man, being a curious and inquisitive organism, keeps on searching answers to one’s varied problems and needs. There is always the desire to understand the rationale and perspectives of things including their relevance and applicability to future endeavors. Man partially satisfies this curiosity through continuous quest for learning. The inherent inquisitiveness of man provides the impetus for invention, innovation, and research. Research is a better tool that has assisted man to move ahead. Aquino (1981) defined research as the systematic search for pertinent information on specific topic or problem. It is an organized investigation into a subject in order to discover facts, to establish or revise theory, or to develop an action based on facts discovered (Encarta Dictionary, 2002). The development of an action based on research would depend on diverse factors including the accessibility for relevant information and the manner with which the facts were disseminated to those who would benefit from them. Accessibility, on the other hand, is defined as “the quality of being at hand when needed” (The Free Dictionary, 2010). The essay is hereby written with the objective of proffering the relationship between research and practice and the relevance of accessibility and disseminating research results to practitioners. Several studies written by Helen Roberts (Health and Social Care), Anne Edwards (Education) and Jim McKechnie and Sandy Hobbs (Childhood Studies) would be used to support arguments on the subject. The discourse would initially defined research and accessibility to practitioners. It would subsequently discuss the relationship of research to policy and practice, dissemination and accessibility and finally, would determine the relevance of linking research to policy and practice using relevant literatures and academic researches on the subject. The Relationship of Research to Policy and Practice Research is a process of acquiring significant information for specified and definite purposes and includes studies of inventions, discoveries, and techniques that all affect change in different areas of knowledge. Nowadays, with the growing value of research, government institutions are allocating sum of money or funding for various research studies. As a result, significant researches in science, technology, business, medicine, education, and other fields of endeavor are being documented and published. The relevance of research, therefore, depends on the diverse factors such as the objective of the researcher, the methodologies used, the subject of the research, time frame, and its accessibility and eventual link to policy and practice. As indicated by Edwards (256), “the relationship between research, policy and practice should be that of a two- or three-way knowledge exchange so that research, policy, and practice are constantly mutually informing”. As averred by Barnardos R & D (2000), “research alone rarely influences decisions”. McKechnie & Hobbs presented four norms for decision makers to use research evidence, to wit: as “(1) instrumental use (research feeds directly into policy and practice); (2) conceptual use (as influencer of ideas to encourage innovative ones); (3) mobilizing support (as a form of persuasion); and (4) wider influence (community and policy action from research information)” (McKechnie & Hobbs, 273). This information were concurrently validated by Weiss (1998) as cited by McKechnie & Hobbs when they emphasized that there are significant factors which actually influence the use of research in policy and practice. From among the factors mentioned were: issues which are non-controversial in nature and where conflicts can be avoided; situations which easily accommodate changes without drastic disruptions or resistance; a stable external environment without impending leadership change nor funding; and the presence of a crisis scenario where much needed action is required. As revealed by Roberts from her example on Healthy Futures Project, the change in leadership drastically affected the research process, as well as its relevance in policy implementation and practice. The change required strategic measure to ensure that findings and feedback were relayed to the children and young people who actively participated in the research. By using the web, the researchers ensured accessibility and proper dissemination of findings. By providing access through research findings, various stakeholders increased awareness on the research and provided the link for possible applications in other endeavors. Other factors such as the process of influences (extent of pervasiveness and complexity of research), the multiple channels of dissemination, as well as sources of funds, affect and influence the way research is made accessible, disseminated, incorporated and used for policy implementation and into effective use (McKechnie & Hobbs, 279 – 281). Funding, for instance, was viewed as a strong lead of research accessibility and dissemination in the light of creating “contractual relationships” (McKechnie & Hobbs, 280). The consequences of forging business relationships with funders are selective dissemination and controlled access to research findings. The research conducted by Wataru Takei exemplified funding coming from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture of Japan and must have had conformed to stipulations and conditions that warranted compliance (Takei, 38). Dissemination and Accessibility There is a direct relationship between the way research studies are disseminated and their accessibility. The wider the exposure through an appropriate medium of dissemination, the more accessible the research findings. As indicated by Roberts (251), “newspapers, direct feedback to respondents, feedback through local newsletter and local events may ensure that findings are put into the hands of those most directly affected” by the research. The medium for publishing research findings is a significant factor which could either enhance or preclude users of research studies to access them. Roberts indicated that “web dissemination can be accessed more by children and young people than academic journals” (251). However, there is also a need to closely evaluate the kind of research and its sensitivity to the required audience. Robert’s citation of the sexual exploitation in Lambeth, Southwark, and Lewisham required more discreet dissemination of research results due to the sensitivity of the subject and for protection of the victims. In the discussion of ethics in research, Robinson & Kellett closely examined the subject of child abuse and the exercise of power by adults (n.d., 88). They averred that findings on children’s experiences of child abuse revealed the “unwillingness of adults to actually talk to children” (Robinson & Kellet, n.d., 89). This confirms the imbalance nature of power between adults and children contributing to the tendencies of adults to impose various perspectives on children, resulting to abuse. As previously indicated, accessibility to sensitive information should be managed to serve as safeguards for children in terms of exposing them to emotional stress and other danger with would affect their growth and development, as well as their lives in the future. It was revealed that several ethical problems could ensue from irresponsible publication of the results of research studies causing shame, stigma, and disadvantages for children. Safeguards for ethical research require the approval of an ethical committee appointed to review and evaluate the scope and findings of the research before any reports or projects are subsequently published (Alderson, n.d., 99). Ways to Make Research Findings More Accessible to Practitioners In a study written by Masters (1), he noted that research findings could be made more accessible to practitioners by developing better methods of dissemination. Aside from academic journals, the proliferation of young people’s tapping the World Wide Web as a source of information should be looked into as the most accessible medium that practitioners can access. The findings of any significant research on children posted through the Internet provide greater accessibility. The Internet boasts of a variety of uses for a wide range of clientele. From among the famous users of the Internet, our teenagers of today are seen to be the primary consumers of the World Wide Web. A study conducted by Rainie (2004) revealed that young people do the specified tasks in the Internet in the following decreasing order: (1) for email; (2) surf for fun; (3) play games; (4) for instant messages; (5) to get health information; (6) for news; (7) to pursue hobbies; (8) research products; (9) listen to music; and (10) as chat rooms, from among others. As indicated, young people’s preponderance to log into this medium make research findings easily accessible and relevant. Children and young people acknowledge that the internet is sources of health information and research products. Therefore, researchers must seriously evaluate the effectiveness of this medium to reach young audiences all over the world. In another study, Freedman (2006) enumerated the following trends and tendencies of the Internet, which impact media and culture, to wit: (1) production and distributions costs are significantly lowered; (2) barriers of time and location are eradicated; (3) ‘disaggregation of editorial and advertising material’ are facilitated; (4) direct target market for different and specific purposes are focused; and (5) competes directly with offline media. The discourse specifically identified that the Internet posed very high commercial benefits to the diverse industries and organizations, including health care, social care and childhood studies because of the easy access to downloaded information. In an article written by Pareles (2006), he asks the readers to decipher what Internet users should do with the flood of information that is available at one flick of the keyboard. He noted that “all that free-flowing self-expression presents a grandly promising anarchy, an assault on established notions of professionalism, a legal morass and a technological remix of the processes of folk culture. And simply unleashing it could be the easy part. Now we have to figure out what to do with it: Ignore it? Sort it? Add more of our own?” Since it is a vehicle for self expression, can one just do whatever one desires with it? At the same token, various practitioners and professionals are increasingly acknowledging the benefits accorded by the Internet as the most accessible source of cheap information. The reliability and credibility of the sources of data must, however, be reviewed to determine their academic worthiness and viability for future applications. Relevance of Linking Research to Policy and Practice Publication of research studies should not be the penultimate endeavor. There was an indication by Roberts that a mismatch in perspectives exists between research and policy. Accordingly, research is retrospective in orientation, generally using past data to process and reveal its findings. Policy messages, on the other hand, are designed to be “timeless, unequivocal and relevant to current and near-future issues” (Roberts, 250). In this regard, research findings could not be converted to practical applications without due support from policy makers. Roberts validated that there is a need to push to use research evidence to inform (or justify) policy intentions. Should accessibility of research really matter? Should accessibility to practitioners, in this regard, really matter? Researchers endeavor to delve into unexplored areas of inquiries to bring into light new information which could benefit mankind into the future. The quest for innovative methods and techniques are done with the aim of improving contemporary systems and processes that would ultimately enhance man’s way of life. Thereby, the question is not only on how accessible research findings are made to practitioners – but also how practitioners interpret and use this information to productive and concrete use. In case of children’s studies, the findings are critical in providing clearer understanding and awareness on children’s behavior to guide practitioners in the administration of effective interventions for their future growth and development. Walkerdine (2001) attributes a preoccupation with children’s safety to, essentially, adult insecurities. The onset of easy access and availability of information through the internet exacerbated these anxieties as children become more adept with technology than adults. In this regard, the relevance of accessing research information, particularly on children’s studies matter in terms of practitioners’ ability to use the information for the improvement of children’s lives. Conclusion Research findings are not ends in the continuous process of searching for relevant information especially in the field of children studies. The various forms and medium of dissemination of relevant research findings indicate the way policy makers can use them for future endeavors. The essay was therefore able to attain its objective of proffering the relationship between research and practice and the determining the relevance of accessibility of research results to practitioners. The extent and manner of dissemination of research output measures the way information has become accessible to practitioners and professionals who are viewed to be genuinely interested in determining the applicability of results. It is therefore critical to evaluate the kind of information and methodology indicated in various research studies, together with the objectives of both the researchers, funders, stakeholders, to determine the appropriate medium of information to publish the results. With effective publication, findings would be interpreted and linked to various applications which policy makers can regulate for future endeavors. Society is now faced with advancement in technology which pervades and dominates all facets of a person’s life. Health care practitioners and researchers focusing on children’s studies have envisioned the fast pace of technological breakthroughs as both beneficial and risky in the sense that new devices are put to work for greater access and control of information where stakeholders could generate and weigh their usefulness and applications in other fields of endeavor. Total Word Count: 2,163 Works Cited Alderson, P. (n.d.). Chapter 7: Ethics. _____________________________________. Print. Aquino, Guadencio V. Essentials of Research and Thesis Writing. Phoenix Publishing House, Inc. Q.C. 1981. Print. Barnardos R & D as cited in Roberts, Helen: Chapter 16: Health and Social Care. __________________________. Print. Edwards, Anne. Chapter 17: Education. ___________________________________ . Print. Encarta Dictionary. Definition of Research. St. Martin’s Press. 2002. Print. Free Dictionary. Definition of Accessibility. 2010. Web. 27 August 2010. Masters, Geoff N. Towards a National School Research Agenda. N.d. Web. 28 August 2010. < http://www.aare.edu.au/99pap/mas99854.htm> McKechnie, Jim & Hobbs, Sandy. Chapter 17: Childhood Studies. _________________. Print. Pareles, Jon. “2006, Brought to You, by You”. The New York Times. December 10, 2006. Web. 26 August 2010. Rainie, Lee. “The Adoption of the Internet and its Impact on Society and Culture”. 2004. Web. 17 August 2010. Roberts, Helen. Chapter 16: Health and Social Care. __________________________. Print. Robinson, . & Kellet, . (n.d.). Chapter 6: Power. ____________________________. Print. Takei, W. “How do deaf infants attain first signs?” Developmental Science, 4: 71-78. 2001. Print. Walkerdine, V. ‘Safety and danger’ in Hultqvist, K. and Dahlberg, G. (eds) Governing the Child in the New Millennium. London, Routledge Falmer. 2001. Print. Read More