Government Social Research
TThe final stage in an REA involves communicating its findings in ways that engage with users of the research evidence. There is not currently one agreed way of presenting the results of REAs, systematic reviews and other research for use by a policy audience. Your department may have its own guidance that you should follow. One format that is being increasingly used is 1:3:25 (PDF, CHSRF webiste).
This approach seeks to balance the need to present the findings of the research in a form that is quick and accessible to read, with a requirement to demonstrate that the research has been conducted in a robust and reliable manner. Thus, short (sometimes in bullet-point form) presentations of results are written on a maximum of one page to provide the high-level implications of the research for government policy. A maximum of the three pages can be used for a more traditional Executive Summary with some information on the research itself but a focus on the findings and implications of the research. The aim of the 25 page (or less) report is to present the results in more context than is possible in the shorter formats, while still maintaining an accessible, jargon-free style. Detailed methods and tools (such as search and coding strategies) are sometimes appended as annexes to the 25 page report.
REAs are often designed to inform policy or operational development and simply producing a report may not be the best method for ensuring that the findings are used. Other strategies such as presentations and workshops should be considered to bring users back together to discuss the implications of the REAs findings. Events such as these can be used to create discussion about the next steps and action points to put the findings into practice.
Users can also be involved in communicating findings directly through the production of reports or talks following the REA.