Increasing the use of research in Swedish development policy and practice

The report finds that while Swedish development practitioners value research, they struggle to find and implement it due to time constraints and a communication mismatch with researchers. It recommends bridging this gap through co-creation, better communication formats, and institutionalized networks.

• Practitioners and policymakers generally view research-based knowledge as relevant and credible, but they find it difficult to locate, understand, and implement. There is a prevailing expectation that research should provide concrete, practical solutions to specific problems, which the report describes as a narrow understanding of social science research.
• Research is frequently used to validate existing beliefs or support decisions already made rather than to inform the decision-making process itself. This tendency toward motivated reasoning means that critical research that contradicts popular opinions or established perspectives may be ignored.
• Time is identified as the primary barrier to using research. Practitioners report that they lack the time to read journal articles or search for research because they are preoccupied with internal meetings and donor requirements, such as controlling and evaluating funds.
• A significant communication gap exists between researchers and practitioners. Practitioners primarily use Google, social media, and professional networks to find information, whereas researchers primarily publish in peer-reviewed journals to meet career and funding requirements.
• Swedish practitioners show a preference for research produced by globally recognized international institutions over research from Swedish universities and organizations. This is driven by a desire to avoid imposing a 'Swedish agenda' on partners in development countries and a lack of awareness regarding where to find Swedish research.
• The report identifies a lack of funding and institutional incentives to support organized platforms for research-policy collaboration in Sweden. This often leads practitioners to hire consultants, who are perceived as faster and more familiar with development jargon, despite lacking the depth of academic researchers.
• To improve the uptake of research, the report recommends that researchers produce shorter, jargon-free outputs and that practitioners receive training on how to navigate peer-reviewed databases.
• The report suggests the 'co-creation' of research and development initiatives, where researchers are involved from the design and proposal stage of projects to provide timely and relevant input.

APA

Ioannou, A., & Vähämäki, J. (2021). Increasing the use of research in Swedish development policy and practice. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/increasing-the-use-of-research-in-policy.pdf

Chicago

Ioannou, Anna, and Janet Vähämäki. Increasing the use of research in Swedish development policy and practice. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2021. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/increasing-the-use-of-research-in-policy.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ioannou |first1=Anna |last2=Vähämäki |first2=Janet |title=Increasing the use of research in Swedish development policy and practice |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=November 2021 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/increasing-the-use-of-research-in-policy.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ioannou2021increasing, author = {Ioannou, Anna and Vähämäki, Janet}, title = {{Increasing the use of research in Swedish development policy and practice}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/increasing-the-use-of-research-in-policy.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }