The influence of development research: the significance of research consensus and policy polarization

Abstract

There is a long tradition for close exchange between research and practice in the international development community. However, we know very little about the circumstances under which research really has an impact on development practice. This article examines how the degree of research consensus and policy polarization matters. Drawing on evidence from English and Danish aid, I study two cases in the form of two fields of research; research on political economy analysis and research on aid effectiveness. The case studies show that a broad research consensus and a low degree of polarization promote influence. However, this does not necessarily mean that research will also have an influence on the implementation of a development program.