Shedding light on causal recipes for development research uptake

This paper pilots the use of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to identify the combinations of factors that lead to the uptake of development research by policy-makers. Analyzing 20 projects from the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), the study finds that while high research credibility is a necessary 'gatekeeper' condition, uptake typically occurs through three distinct causal pathways. The most common pathway (80% of cases) combines credibility, strong communication, stakeholder engagement, explicit demand, and influence on discourse. The authors suggest QCA is a powerful tool for testing Theory of Change assumptions but note it is resource-intensive and requires specific technical expertise.

• The study identified three distinct causal pathways (or 'recipes') that lead to the uptake of research by policy-makers and practitioners. The dominant pathway, covering 80% of successful cases, requires a combination of high credibility, strong communication, stakeholder engagement, explicit demand, and influence on debates.
• Credibility and research quality were found to be a necessary but insufficient 'gatekeeper' condition for research uptake. Every case that achieved research uptake scored high on credibility, although high credibility alone did not guarantee uptake.
• Certain factors previously assumed to be crucial for research uptake were found to have no notable role in the identified causal pathways. These include previous relationships between researchers and policy-makers, close alignment with CDKN strategy during planning and implementation, and forward-looking sustainability planning.
• The research demonstrated that research uptake can occur even without a narrowly defined policy-relevant knowledge gap if there is high credibility and strong alignment with CDKN implementation, as seen in the 'Triple Wins' coastal zone project.
• In cases where a strongly policy-relevant knowledge gap is combined with tailored communication, other conditions like stakeholder demand, influence on debates, and stakeholder engagement may not be necessary to achieve some degree of uptake.
• The authors conclude that Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) is a valuable tool for challenging or reaffirming Theory of Change assumptions through a transparent process, but it is resource-intensive and requires technical expertise to operate the software (fsQCA).
• The study highlights several practical challenges in applying QCA to development research, including the time lag between project completion and observable impact, staff turnover leading to loss of case knowledge, and the inability of the methodology to handle missing data values.

APA

Scholz, V., Kirbyshire, A., & Simister, N. (2016). Shedding light on causal recipes for development research uptake. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Applying-Qualitative-Comparative-Analysis-to-understand-reasons-for-research-uptake.-Vera-Scholz-Amy-Kirbyshire-and-Nigel-Simister.pdf

Chicago

Scholz, Vera, Amy Kirbyshire, and Nigel Simister. Shedding light on causal recipes for development research uptake. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2016. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Applying-Qualitative-Comparative-Analysis-to-understand-reasons-for-research-uptake.-Vera-Scholz-Amy-Kirbyshire-and-Nigel-Simister.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Scholz |first1=Vera |last2=Kirbyshire |first2=Amy |last3=Simister |first3=Nigel |title=Shedding light on causal recipes for development research uptake |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=May 2016 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Applying-Qualitative-Comparative-Analysis-to-understand-reasons-for-research-uptake.-Vera-Scholz-Amy-Kirbyshire-and-Nigel-Simister.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{scholz2016shedding, author = {Scholz, Vera and Kirbyshire, Amy and Simister, Nigel}, title = {{Shedding light on causal recipes for development research uptake}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2016}, month = may, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Applying-Qualitative-Comparative-Analysis-to-understand-reasons-for-research-uptake.-Vera-Scholz-Amy-Kirbyshire-and-Nigel-Simister.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }