A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

Meeting the Information Needs of Education Policymakers - August 1997

Targeting Research Information to a
Policy Audience

Policymakers and education leaders operate in unique environments and their information needs are somewhat different from those of the broader education or research communities. Research entities must recognize and be responsive to these special needs. In order to influence policy and management decisions, research information and products must target the right audience, in the most useful form, at the right time.

Research Needs of Policymakers and Education Leaders

Policymakers take decisive actions and frame most issues in terms of up or down votes. This means that legislators have limited use for research information that is overly detailed, avoids any definitive conclusions, or is too late to be helpful.

Policymakers, especially part-time state legislators, must deal with a wide range of issues in a relatively short time. Usually they cannot afford to wait several years for a final study report; they need whatever good information is available now to inform their policy decisions. If they lack hard data, they may feel pressure to act anyway, and may base their decisions on anecdotal information or public opinion. The adoption of term limits in many states has heightened the need for timely information; there is more turnover in state capitals, and legislators have less time to learn the ropes before achieving influential positions. At the same time, no one is well served by premature information that is inaccurate or has other serious data problems. Therefore, research entities often face the dilemma of balancing timeliness and quality.

State and local superintendents, as chief executives of large organizations, share concerns about timeliness similar to those of policymakers. Local leaders, like state legislators, must sift through an overwhelming amount of information in their jobs. Thus, the form in which research is presented--brief and clear--is as important as its timing.

Ultimately the credibility of research information to both policymakers and educators depends on its accuracy and objectivity. Reliable, nonpartisan information help build consensus among people with different political views and can advance national, state, and local policy.

Suggestions for Targeting Information

Policymakers and education leaders have made the following suggestions for improving the timeliness, format, dissemination, and objectivity of research information aimed at a policy audience.

A. Timeliness of Information

Research entities should consider the time constraints of policymakers when they plan, collect, and release research information.
To address the needs of a policy audience for quick turnaround, research entities could develop short-term research projects (e.g. a six-month time frame) or produce quick syntheses of existing research data on urgent issues.
Researchers could disseminate data at various stages of the research process, or in forms that are less than final but still reasonably accurate.

B. Format of Information

Information aimed at a policy audience should be succinctly and clearly written, in language that policymakers, parents, and other laypersons can understand, with clear charts and graphs.
Policymakers and executives prefer brief summaries to long reports.
Policymakers like to see research studies that present some options for action.
Research for a policy audience should not be presented in too scholarly a way, with too many qualifiers and equivocations.

C. Dissemination of Information

Research entities could disseminate information through means other than traditional research reports, such as databases on the Internet, "books on tape" that busy professionals can listen to in transit, or short policy briefs on critical issues.

D. Objectivity of Information

Research entities should ensure that their information is objective, accurate, and fairly reported.
Research aimed at policymakers and practitioners should have a clear, direct message that will counteract the misinformation, pseudo-research, anecdotes, and myths that sometimes characterize debates about education.

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[Critical Issues for a National Research Agenda]

[Conclusion]