Mr Jonathan Breckon

Research project: Power, politics and evidence: the role of UK professional bodies as intermediaries between research and practice

Abstract

It is now over twenty years since evidence-based medicine, education and policing were first advocated (Sackett et al, 1996; Hargreaves, 1996; Sherman 2013). Professional bodies have, to differing degrees, accepted this agenda and recognised the role of using research to aid practice. However, there is a wide diversity of approaches across over 30 organisations in health, social care, education and policing. They can range from large bodies like the Royal College of Surgeons which can trace its history back to 1540, to newer and smaller bodies like the Chartered College of Teaching which was given Privy Council approval in 2017. A common feature of these organisations is a public commitment to the value of research. But have professional membership bodies really fostered a culture and practice where decisions are informed by research? There is very little scholarly work on these professional bodies and their evidence use – both as individual bodies, or as a collective. This research will seek to examine them as a group, including creating a conceptual framework to compare these organisations, and locate them within different political and governance contexts.  The approach will be qualitative, and will include ethnographic-informed observational research, and a systematic review of relevant literature