Applied policy research with impact lies at the core of all that CRESR does. The Policy Research and Evaluation cluster focuses on this interface between academic research and real-world practice. We have a twin focus: we seek to explore and improve our methods of research and the underlying concepts that inform them; and we’re interested in increasing the impact of our research.
We recognise that research needs to engage with a complex and messy world in which economic, social and environmental challenges are entangled with each other and must be addressed at different scales of time and geography. This requires constant reflexive learning and critical examination of concepts, methods and applications. At a theoretical level, we are particularly interested in complexity, systems change, institutions and governance. Methodologically, we are interested in ways of generating data that bring us closer to the lived experiences of the people who are affected by policies and the people who make policy. In terms of impact, we are interested in communicating our findings in ways that can directly inform policymakers and practitioners, and in bringing the stories of our research findings and participants to life.
Through this focus on theories, methods and impact we seek to develop our own reflective practice as researchers and engage with the wider academic community within Sheffield Hallam University and beyond.
Current topics of interest include:
systems thinking and complexity
institutional change and governance
evaluation methods
policy formulation and implementation
cross-cutting issues impacting on policy and place
