Need help getting cited in policy?
Have you been unable to find any citations or mentions of your work in policy? Don’t worry, even the best ideas need help in moving from the journal to the world at large. Check out our blog for more information on how research gets cited in policy.
Very broadly, around 5 percent of journal articles end up being cited in policy. The exact percentage varies a lot between disciplines: drama and quantum physics are cited less frequently, economics and public health far more often.
The age of the article also plays a role. Although it’s certainly possible for new research to be quickly cited in policy, it usually takes three to five years for the first policy citations to appear.
Check out our conversation with Jonathan Breckon around how to influence policy.
Recommendations for getting your work cited in policy
- Use Overton Index to see what type of scholarly articles are cited in policy: Pay close attention to policy documents that include scholarly citations or are cited by other policy documents. Policy authors may be more inclined to cite other policy documents that synthesise and summarise research rather than the articles themselves.
- Use Overton Index to find policy/articles that are cited in policy.
- Filter for your subject area to better understand your discipline.
- Pay attention to the language/writing they use. Is it more accessible or informal than articles?
- Write other pieces that can be more accessible to policy authors, like the ones below:
- Policy briefs (2-4 pages with clear recommendations)
- Executive summaries
- White papers
- Op-eds in major outlets
If your research paper is behind a paywall, these more public pieces can make the fundamentals of your work more accessible to a broader audience. Using more accessible language, stating implications clearly, or making policy recommendations can also help connect your research to policy.
- Work directly with think tanks, NGOs, government and international organisations.
- Policy often cites research from think tanks, NGOs, and international organisations rather than directly from journals.
- You can find opportunities to work more closely with policy in Overton Engage by browsing opportunities where governments and organisations are explicitly seeking expert contributions.
- Share your work on social media (it increases the chances a policymaker will come across it!) But if possible, remember to use a DOI or another persistent identifier to make tracing any potential policy citations as easy as possible.