SUMMARY ✎
Intro
Research plays an important role in the UK parliament; it can help MPs and Peers scrutinize government policy, examine pressing issues of the day and pass laws.
At the same time, getting research into parliament is important for individual researchers – it is one of the ways in which they can demonstrate the impact of their research, where impact is defined by the REF as “an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life, beyond academia”.
So, what are the different ways in which research can enter parliament? What role does research play in the public sphere, and why does evidence matter? What steps can you take to help your research influence parliamentary matters?
Top 10 tips from POST
So, what can you do to help get your research into Parliament? Here are ten top tips:
Making connections
- Be seen online or at events, so it’s easy for us to find you
- Blog your research so we know what you are working on
- Follow what we are doing on the Parliament website and via Twitter
- Sign up to POST, Commons and Lords Library, and Select Committee Alerts
- Invite parliamentary staff to your events
Presenting research
- Don’t just send your journal articles: send us a brief and include your sources
- Be relevant: start with a summary and focus on how your research impacts people
- Use visuals: a picture can paint a thousand words (and save time and space)
- Be clear and accurate: be explicit about all limitations and caveats
- Don’t forget the essentials: include your contact details and date your briefing