Welcome to this MOOC, part 2 of a series titled Knowledge Translation: Promoting Evidence-informed Practices and Policies.

These days, researchers, practitioners and decision makers are placing greater emphasis on using evidence to improve interventions, healthcare and the well-being of populations. This trend is particularly significant in sectors that address social issues such as health, social, educational and judicial interventions and services. This movement can be seen in the emergence of new approaches that promote an increased use of research: knowledge translation, evidence-informed decision-making and practices, knowledge mobilization, knowledge utilization, knowledge enhancement, etc.

Studies on the subject show that the process leading to the use of knowledge is so complex that science and research still barely get taken into account in practice and decision-making communities. There is consensus in scientific literature that the efforts made to make scientific knowledge available are necessary, but not sufficient, for their actual use in practice communities. This course has been designed to address these issues.

This series of free online courses was developed by the RENARD team in collaboration with the Institut de recherche pour le développement and with the support of Université de Montréal’s Centre de pédagogie universitaire.

The second MOOC in the series focuses exclusively on the preparation of policy briefs. By the end of this course, you will be able to distinguish between different types of policy briefs and identify key elements that characterize their effectiveness. In addition, you will learn more about the different steps involved in producing a policy brief and the different choices that must be made with regards to its content. You will therefore be better equipped to prepare your own clear, rigorous, credible and convincing policy briefs.

Several teaching methods are used to facilitate your learning:

• Educational videos presenting theoretical notions and concrete examples
• Vox pops presenting the point of view of people working in the field
• Short quizzes to validate your understanding of the concepts presented
• Readings to consolidate and deepen your learning
• Practical exercises allowing you to put into practice the notions learned

Other MOOCs in this series :

• Knowledge Translation 1 - Introduction
• Knowledge Translation 3 - Knowledge Brokering (Coming soon)