Understanding UK policymakers' evidence needs through policy questions.

Area of Science:

• Public Policy
• Science and Technology Policy
• Government Studies

Background:

• Policymakers require timely and relevant evidence to inform decision-making.
• Understanding the patterns of evidence requests can improve policy-academic interactions.
• The UK context provides a valuable case study for examining evidence needs in government.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify common evidence topics requested by UK policymakers between 2019 and 2023.
• To determine preferred styles of evidence requests across government departments.
• To explore the value of iterative policy-academic exchanges for evidence-based policymaking.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods approach was employed, analyzing 3260 policy questions from UK policymakers.
• Data were coded using a combination of human analysis and algorithmic methods.
• Qualitative interviews with policymakers provided insights into preferred interaction styles.

Main Results:

• Economy was the most frequent topic (27%), while Climate and Environment showed the most significant rise (16-38%).
• Procedural questions (33%), focusing on 'how-to' aspects, were the most common request style.
• Policymakers found exploratory approaches and challenged assumptions most beneficial in academic interactions.

Conclusions:

• Evidence requests from UK policymakers reveal consistent topical interests, with a notable increase in climate and environmental concerns.
• A preference for procedural, 'how-to' questions indicates a need for actionable, implementable evidence.
• Focused, iterative policy-academic engagement, including challenging assumptions, enhances the effectiveness of evidence-based policymaking.