The Research Relationship: Practice and Politics in Social Policy Research

The book "The Policy Research Relationship: Tensions and Collaborations" was published in 1987 and discussed the importance of understanding the relationship between researchers and funding agencies and policy-making bodies. The authors provided accounts of research in a wide variety of settings to confront and understand the tensions that develop between the two sides of the policy research relationship. The primary objective of the book was to provide an impetus for greater understanding and collaboration that could lead to improvements in the research relationship.

Format: Hardback
Length: 242 pages
Publication date: 24 February 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Originally published in 1987, it was predicted that by the end of that decade, if current trends persisted, the majority of social researchers would be working under contract to government and other agencies that commissioned policy-relevant investigations. This shift towards contracted and commissioned research brought to the forefront the critical need for a deeper understanding of the often complex relationship between researchers, funding agencies, and policy-making bodies. This book aimed to address both social scientists who were or would be involved in social policy research and administrators, planners, and policy makers who often had the responsibility of funding such research and who were also potential users of its findings. The authors presented accounts of research conducted in diverse settings on behalf of various sponsors, with the purpose of confronting, describing, and attempting to comprehend the tensions that arise between the two sides of the policy research relationship. While it is acknowledged that there are no universally applicable solutions to eliminate challenges, the sentiment conveyed is that improvements in the research relationship are achievable and highly desirable. The primary objective of the book was to provide a catalyst for greater understanding and collaboration that could lead to such enhancements.

Originally published in 1987, it was predicted that by the end of that decade, if current trends persisted, the majority of social researchers would be working under contract to government and other agencies that commissioned policy-relevant investigations. This shift towards contracted and commissioned research brought to the forefront the critical need for a deeper understanding of the often complex relationship between researchers, funding agencies, and policy-making bodies. This book aimed to address both social scientists who were or would be involved in social policy research and administrators, planners, and policy makers who often had the responsibility of funding such research and who were also potential users of its findings. The authors presented accounts of research conducted in diverse settings on behalf of various sponsors, with the purpose of confronting, describing, and attempting to comprehend the tensions that arise between the two sides of the policy research relationship. While it is acknowledged that there are no universally applicable solutions to eliminate challenges, the sentiment conveyed is that improvements in the research relationship are achievable and highly desirable. The primary objective of the book was to provide a catalyst for greater understanding and collaboration that could lead to such enhancements.

Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032232256