Current assessments of research impact have been criticized for capturing what can be easily counted not what actually counts. To empirically examine this issue, we approached measuring research impact from two directions, tracing forwards from research and backwards from policy, within a defined research-policy system (childhood obesity prevention research and policy in New South Wales, Australia from 2000 to 2015). The forward tracing research impact assessment component traced a sample of 148 local research projects forward to examine their policy impacts. Of the projects considered, 16% had an impact on local policy and for a further 19%, decision-makers were aware of the research, but there was no evidence it influenced policy decisions. The backward tracing component of the study included an analysis of research use across three policy initiatives. It provided a more nuanced understanding of the relative influence of research on policy. Both direct uses of specific research and indirect uses of research incorporated as broader bodies of knowledge were evident. Measuring research impact from both directions captured the diverse ways that research was used in decision-making. Our findings illustrate complexities in the assessment process and in real-life policymaking trajectories. They highlight the role that timing of assessment plays in perception of impacts and difficulties attributing longer-term impacts to specific research. This study supports the use of models where politics and complex system dynamics shape knowledge and its influence on decision-making, rather than research being the primary driver for policy change.

中文翻译：

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寻找研究影响和使用的证据：对澳大利亚研究政策系统的定性研究

当前对研究影响的评估被批评为捕捉容易计算的东西而不是实际重要的东西。为了对这个问题进行实证检验，我们在一个明确的研究政策系统（2000 年至 2015 年澳大利亚新南威尔士州的儿童肥胖预防研究和政策）内从两个方向测量研究影响，从研究向前追溯，从政策向后追溯。向前追踪研究影响评估部分向前追踪了 148 个地方研究项目的样本，以检查它们的政策影响。在所考虑的项目中，16% 对当地政策产生了影响，另外 19% 的决策者知道该研究，但没有证据表明它影响了政策决策。该研究的回溯部分包括对三项政策举措的研究使用情况的分析。它提供了对研究对政策的相对影响的更细致入微的理解。对具体研究的直接使用和对作为更广泛知识体系的研究的间接使用都是显而易见的。从两个方向衡量研究影响捕捉到了研究在决策中使用的多种方式。我们的研究结果说明了评估过程和现实生活中的决策轨迹的复杂性。他们强调了评估时机在感知影响和将长期影响归因于特定研究的困难方面所起的作用。这项研究支持使用政治和复杂系统动力学塑造知识及其对决策的影响的模型，