Pre-Conference Workshop
From Evidence to Influence: Packaging Research for Parliamentary Impact
Speaker: Claire Sewell, Head of the Research Information Service, House of Commons Library
Time: 2-3:30pm
Location: Faculty of Law, David Williams Building, Sidgwick Site, 10 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DZ
Cost: US$25
The Workshop
The inclusion of research in policy is seen as the gold standard of impact for many, but how do you reach this goal?
The House of Commons Library serves the information needs of the UK Parliament with a dedicated team of subject specialist researchers and librarians providing public briefings, bespoke research and a confidential enquiry service. With the rise of misinformation and contradicting sources, it’s never been more important to think about how we ensure that quality information reaches decision makers but the way in which research is packaged often proves to be a barrier.
This interactive workshop will introduce participants to the work of a Parliamentary library and offer an insight into how researchers gather the information they need to support the democratic process. Participants will be encouraged to think about how they can package academic and practitioner research in a way that makes it accessible to time poor researchers and increase its chances of being included in their work. They will leave with ideas about how to make an impact with policy makers, communicating research to different audiences and a deeper understanding of how we can all make democracy happen.
The inclusion of research in policy is seen as the gold standard of impact for many, but how do you reach this goal?
The House of Commons Library serves the information needs of the UK Parliament with a dedicated team of subject specialist researchers and librarians providing public briefings, bespoke research and a confidential enquiry service. With the rise of misinformation and contradicting sources, it’s never been more important to think about how we ensure that quality information reaches decision makers but the way in which research is packaged often proves to be a barrier.
This interactive workshop will introduce participants to the work of a Parliamentary library and offer an insight into how researchers gather the information they need to support the democratic process. Participants will be encouraged to think about how they can package academic and practitioner research in a way that makes it accessible to time poor researchers and increase its chances of being included in their work. They will leave with ideas about how to make an impact with policy makers, communicating research to different audiences and a deeper understanding of how we can all make democracy happen.
Biography
Claire Sewell is the Head of the Research Information Service at the House of Commons Library. In this role she oversees a team of librarians who provide information services to researchers across a range of policy areas, helping to inform Parliamentary democracy. Prior to her move to Parliament Claire worked as an academic librarian at the University of Cambridge, supporting researchers to conduct and share their work with a wider audience. She holds an MSc in Library and Information Studies from the University of Aberystwyth, a PGCert in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education from the University of Cambridge and is a Chartered Member of CILIP. Claire is a Past President of SLA Europe and the author of ‘The No-Nonsense Guide to Research Support and Scholarly Communication’.