There is widespread commitment across public service agencies in the UK and elsewhere to ensuring that the best available evidence is used to improve public services. The challenge is not only making research evidence accessible and available but also getting it used. This book provides a timely contribution to enhancing evidence use.

Sandra Nutley is Professor of Public Policy and Management and Director of the Research Unit for Research Utilisation (RURU), University of Edinburgh.
Isabel Walter is Research Fellow in the Social Dimensions of Health institute, Universities of St Andrews and Dundee.
Huw Davies is Professor of Health Policy and Management, University of St Andrews, and Director of the Social Dimensions of Health institute, Universities of St Andrews and Dundee.

Introducing the issues; What does it mean to 'use' research?; What shapes the use of research?; Descriptive models of the research impact process; Improving the use of research: What's been tried and what might work?; What can we learn from the literatures on learning, knowledge management and the diffusion of innovations?; Improving research use in practice contexts; Improving research use in policy contexts; How can we assess research use and wider research impact?; Drawing some conclusions on "Using evidence".