When University Researchers Connect with Policy: A Framework for Whether, When, and How to Engage

By Elizabeth Day, Shelley MacDermid Wadsworth, Karen Bogenschneider, and Jacquelyn Thomas‐Miller

Universities are renowned for their tradition of producing research that benefits millions of people. When it comes to policymaking, university research is considered more trustworthy than other sources, yet it simultaneously is widely perceived as playing too small a role in public policy decisions. In this article, we consider the engagement of university‐based researchers with policymakers and the policy process. As a guide for researchers, we propose a framework that includes three key decisions: whether, when, and how to engage in policymaking. We also apply Boyer's model of engaged scholarship to policymaking, reviewing what research studies and policymakers say about each domain. The domains are illustrated with case examples in which researchers successfully influenced public policy using ethnography, applied policy research, meta‐analysis, benefit–cost analyses, program evaluation, and policy forums. We discuss applications of our three key decisions and draw implications for researchers interested in building research‐based, family‐focused public policy.