How Can Researchers Have Greater Policy Impact?

ABSTRACT Researchers seeking public policy impact lack consistent, coherent, and practical definitions, strategies, and measurement approaches. This article addresses these gaps through four questions using literature, practitioner expertise, and real‐world examples. What does it mean to have policy impact? Three levels of impact are defined: contributing to new policy conversations; shaping policy narrative direction; and influencing decisions that create, reform, or stop policies. How does research influence policy? Research and policy interact bi‐directionally and iteratively. Strategies to maximize the supply, demand, and co‐production of research in policymaking are operationalized for both individual researchers and research organizations. How can the impact of research on policy be evaluated? Contribution analysis is the most appropriate approach because it goes beyond simple correlations—revealing how and why evidence was used in policymaking, guiding future influencing strategies. How can researchers achieve greater policy impact? While each researcher and research organization should develop their own theory of change to inform an effective and testable impact strategy for their operating context, four generalizable principles are presented with a case study demonstration.