This course explores how policy makers make use of evidence or the knowledge generated by social research, particularly in fields such as health or social policy. It examines the use of existing research and the creation of new evidence through evaluation, and explores initiatives for promoting greater exchange between researchers and policy makers.

The course will be delivered in 3 hourly blocks in semester 2, once per week, over 9 consecutive weeks.

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Assessment:

Two assignments of each a maximum of 2,000 words. One of these will focus on the relationships between research evidence and policy and will account for 37.5% of the overall course grade.

The other will focus on evaluation or the generation of research evidence and is worth 50% of the overall course grade. 

A 30 minute (approx.) multiple choice exam, based on lecture content from the first four weeks, and conducted at week 5 will account for the remaining 12.5% of the course grade.

Reassessment

Students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the overall grade for the course is below C3 on the first attempt.

The course explores how policy makers make use of evidence or knowledge generated by social research, particularly in fields such as health or social policy. It examines techniques for appraising, reviewing and synthesising existing research as well as those for the creation of new evidence through evaluation techniques. It considers theoretical perspectives on how evidence is used - and abused - in policy making processes. It explores initiatives by both researchers and policy makers to improve knowledge exchange. The course is concerned with evidence from both quantitative and qualitative research studies.

By the end of this course students should be able to: 

■ demonstrate a critical appreciation of the ways in which social research evidence is used in the formation of public policy, including how this has developed over time and how it varies within and between countries;

■ provide a critical appraisal of quantitative or qualitative research studies, and have a critical awareness of the techniques of literature review, research synthesis and secondary data analysis;

■ identify the general challenges in project or programme evaluation, and show a critical awareness of different approaches to addressing these; and

■ demonstrate a critical awareness of the factors which influence how social research evidence is used within policy as well as of approaches to strengthening connections between research and policy;

■ write a well-structured assignment.

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.