Knowledge mobilisation and partnership research: Reflections from the Prevention Centre

This presentation was part of the Public Health Association of Australia’s Preventive Health Conference 2020 and outlines the structured dialogue and iterative process for mapping and expanding knowledge mobilisation strategies and present a synthesis of findings from across a range of Prevention Centre projects.

Prevention researchers, policy makers and practitioners view research outputs as an important form of high-quality knowledge to inform policy and practice. Partnership research and knowledge mobilisation can offer an approach to improving the usefulness of research and other forms of knowledge in policy and practice; through doing useful policy relevant research and making research outcomes more accessible to non-academic audiences. We recognise that context is important, as research itself is improved when informed by the knowledge and experience from applied policy and practice settings.

‘Mobilising’ knowledge implies a social interaction and involves a process of co-creation through collaboration. By drawing on systems thinking we can review and understand the many ways that knowledge is created and mobilised, and work with its context dependant and highly relational nature. Effective and equitable partnerships in knowledge mobilisation require structural supports that balance power and harness the views and expertise of diverse participants.

The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre uses Huw Davies’ empirically derived framework of knowledge mobilisation archetypes to explore and co-design mobilisation activities, through an iterative and collaborative process of review, mapping and dialogue. We draw on systems thinking to inform and adapt the existing archetypes. We  also document and expand knowledge mobilisation activities across a diverse range of research to track progress, share learnings, build capacity and inform future activities.