RESEARCH & PRACTICE TALKING SEMINAR Silversprings Hotel Cork Foroige, 1 st Oct Dr Sue Redmond and Dr John Canavan UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, NUI Galway Purpose of the Event & Overview Event Purpose Present findings from research undertaken in relation to young people in Ireland and in Forige services in recent years; Provide a forum to present staff experiences of using BPU programmes; Provide a forum for staff to share and network with colleagues, including findings of self- evaluation and new innovations and ideas; Reflect on how the research findings are relevant to practice; Generate ideas for future research and practice. Evaluation has Moved on! What is Research Used For? Levels of use of research use at the conceptual level changes at the level of understanding, knowledge and attitude use at the instrumental (direct) level changes in practice and policy making Huberman (1993) What Constrains Research Use the political nature of the policy-making process limitations of social science knowledge few centralised institutions for integrating knowledge and power a communications gap between the researcher and policy communities Bogenschneider et al (2000, p 328) Frameworks and Models Research, development and diffusion models: unproblematic connection between the knowledge production and knowledge use systems Contextual models: how groups construct meaning contingent on individual or group interpretation research is only useable knowledge when it is processed cognitively by the user Sustained interactivity model: nurturing linkage mechanisms and processes between researchers and practitioners researchers are more attuned to practitioners needs and systems of communication, and practitioners can fully grasp the relevance and implications of research (Cousins and Simon, 1996) Petr and Walter (2005)