A report by Professor Heaven Crawley, Director of the Centre for Migration Policy Research at Swansea University, has been highlighted by the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG) as an example of good practice in ensuring academic research has an impact.

The report - When is a child not a child? Asylum, age disputes and the process of age assessment - is highlighted in the RGS-IBG publication Communicating Geographical Research Beyond the Academy: A Guide for Researchers. This guide brings together perspectives from academics and users of geographical research in government, business, education, schools and the media, to reflect on motives, means and methods; to stimulate discussion; and to illuminate examples of good practice.

Professor Crawley said: 'The concept of 'evidence-based policy' making has become something of a mantra within government circles. Within academia too, there is a growing emphasis on the 'relevance' of research to ‘real world’ issues and problems.

'Although this shift in emphasis is to be welcomed, the reality is that there is often a communication gap between academics and policy-makers who often have different motivations, objectives, methods and measures of 'success'.

'This guide represents an attempt to grapple with some of these issues and to assist academics in communicating the findings of their research to a wider audience of politics makers, practitioners and the general public. This is a vital part of ensuring that our research has 'an 'impact' on the policies and processes that we seek to influence.'

Click here for more information on the RGS-IBG’s guide. 

Find out more about the Centre for Migration Policy Research at Swansea University. 

Find out more about Swansea University.

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Content added on the 26th May 2010.

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