title: Measuring research influence on drug policy: a case example of two epidemiological monitoring systems.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Assessing the extent to which drug research influences and impacts upon policy decision-making needs to go beyond bibliometric analysis of academic citations. Policy makers do not necessarily access the academic literature, and policy processes are largely iterative and rely on interactions and relationships. Furthermore, media representation of research contributes to public opinion and can influence policy uptake. In this context, assessing research influence involves examining the extent to which a research project is taken up in policy documents, used within policy processes, and disseminated via the media.
  
  
  METHODS
  This three component approach is demonstrated using a case example of two ongoing illicit drug monitoring systems: the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) and the Ecstasy and related Drugs Reporting System (EDRS). Systematic searches for reference to the IDRS and/or EDRS within policy documents, across multiple policy processes (such as parliamentary inquiries) and in the media, in conjunction with analysis of the types of mentions in these three sources, enables an analysis of policy influence. The context for the research is also described as the foundation for the approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The application of the three component approach to the case study demonstrates a practical and systematic retrospective approach to measure drug research influence. For example, the ways in which the IDRS and EDRS were mentioned in policy documents demonstrated research utilisation. Policy processes were inclusive of IDRS and EDRS findings, while the media analysis revealed only a small contribution in the context of wider media reporting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consistent with theories of policy processes, assessing the extent of research influence requires a systematic analysis of policy documents and processes. Development of such analyses and associated methods will better equip researchers to evaluate the impact of research.
authors.affiliation: Drug Policy Modelling Program, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. alison.ritter@unsw.edu.au
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lancaster
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D000288:Administrative Personnel; D003657:Decision Making; D004335:Drug and Narcotic Control / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D033181:Information Dissemination; D008402:Mass Media; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D011050:Policy Making; D011639:Public Opinion; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine