What is the impact of a policy brief? Results of an experiment in research dissemination

Edoardo Masset, Marie Gaarder, Penelope Beynon and Christelle Chapoy

Journal of Development Effectiveness, 2013, vol. 5, issue 1, 50-63

Abstract: Despite the popularity of policy briefs as a tool for disseminating research, there is no evidence of their effectiveness in changing people's beliefs. We conducted an experiment whereby readers of a policy brief were randomly assigned to different versions of the brief and to a control group. We collected data on opinions and knowledge regarding the impact of agricultural interventions before and after reading a brief disseminating the conclusions of a systematic review. We found that the brief helped some readers to form an opinion, but we found no evidence of a change in prior beliefs. We recommend that more trials and laboratory experiments should be conducted to assess the efficacy of policy briefs and attitudes to evidence-based policy-making.

Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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DOI: 10.1080/19439342.2012.759257

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