Walter, Isabel, Sandra Nutley and Huw Davies (2003b) Developing a Taxonomy of Interventions Used to Increase the Impact of Research.

This paper was written based on a wider project entitled 'Models of Research Impact: A cross sector review', funded by the Learning and Skills Development Agency (LSDA). See Nutley, Percy-Smith and Solesbury (2003) for the overall project summary, and Walter, Nutley and Davies (2003a) for the project literature review. Drawing on the analysis of the literature review and evidence of successful practices in various organisations, the taxonomy first presents eight mechanisms that are currently used to enhance research impact (mainly across the health, education, social care, and criminal justice sectors in the UK).

Mechanisms to enhance research impact:

1. Dissemination - provision and re-presentation of research findings, both written and oral, including guidelines;
   
2. Educational interventions - increasing knowledge and understanding of research;
   
3. Social influence - using the influence of others to inform and persuade, for example opinion leaders;
   
4. Collaborations between researchers and users - including the institutional co-location of researchers with practitioners and policy-makers, and interventions which enable practitioners to 'test out' research findings in local contexts;
   
5. Incentives - financial incentives to change behaviour and research funding practices to encourage impact activities;
   
6. Reinforcement of behaviour, such as through audit, feedback and reminders;
   
7. Facilitation - interventions which provide practical, technical and financial assistance to support research-based change;
   
8. Multifaceted interventions - deploying two or more of the above practices.

The eight mechanisms constitute one side of the taxonomy matrix. The second side is related to intervention type, i.e. the form and content of an intervention.

Examples of how to use the matrix:

Example 1: A seminar series based on individual presentations and subsequent questions from the audience.

• Mechanism: Dissemination.
  
• Intervention type: Oral presentation, supported by written materials.

Example 2: The implementation of guidelines using reminder systems.

• Mechanism: Reinforcement.
  
• Intervention type: Research-based guidance, supported by written materials, and (personal/general) reminders.

The authors suggest that this taxonomy may have not only conceptual value, but also practical use in helping plan and select appropriate strategies for enhancing research impact.