#OvertonGrant: the role of language in global research-to-policy dynamics

In 2023 Overton launched the Policy Impact Micro Grant - a scheme to fund research projects that explore the policy landscape and its relationship with evidence and the academic sphere. 

Some of the funding was allocated to Shenmeng Xu for her project “Beyond Borders: The Role of Language in Global Research-to-Policy Dynamics”. She set out to understand how language impacts the integration of research into policymaking, through three case studies. Here she details her findings.

Governments across the globe face many complex problems. Some of these issues are applicable in other countries, while some are deeply rooted in a regional context. However, most policy issues can benefit from insight and knowledge produced elsewhere in the world. Researchers are at the forefront of knowledge production and play a crucial role in creating solutions to grand challenges. 

However a significant barrier to sharing this critical knowledge being produced across the world is language. This can influence how research is translated into action across different countries and cultures. 

Biases exist at every stage of research communication - issues like the Matthew Effect in citations are widely known, as well as the lack of coverage of non-English publications in research databases. This can make it difficult for research insights published in certain languages to be disseminated widely.

I wanted to understand more about the nuances to this - which languages are ‘influential’ and support widespread policy impact, as well as the barriers and facilitators that affect whether research gets translated into policy - to shed light on the complex process of global policymaking.

Case study takeaways

I used the Overton Index to develop three case studies (outlined below). I searched for scholarly articles used by policymakers, and then explored the onward citation pathways, analysing the policy articles that in turn reference the policy that cites the research across different languages and regions.

1. School Bullying: This case study examined scholarly articles on bullying in schools and their citation in policy documents across two generations. Despite the local relevance of the topic, the study found that policy documents citing these articles expanded in language diversity over time, showing the increasing role of policy-to-policy citations.
2. Gender Equity: Focusing on a broader topic with an international orientation, this study analysed scholarly publications from the past decade. I found - although gender equity research was cited more extensively and by a larger number of policy documents than the bullying research - it reached a similar number of countries and languages.
3. Fukushima Nuclear Water Discharge: In this study I traced the citation of policy documents related to the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant's radioactive water discharge. It highlighted the international significance of the event but noted the focused regional impact of the policy citations.
   
   

Insights and patterns

Though the case studies focused on different topics across different time periods, they did uncover some trends and patterns (specifically between case studies one and two).

Firstly, both studies showed a growing diversity of languages from the first to the second generation of citing policy documents, highlighting the importance of policy-policy citations for decision making. 

There were also comparable language patterns in the policy citation process - French and Finnish emerged as "quick" languages, with shorter citation lags (i.e, the speed that research is cited in policy after publication), while Spanish (following English) had significant influence due to its widespread use in policy documents across many countries.

One of the key takeaways is that a language's influence is not just about the volume of policy documents produced in that language but also about how widely it is adopted globally. For instance, in the third case study, although Japan produced many non-English (Japanese) policy documents, their impact was limited because they were not cited in subsequent policy documents, unlike German-language documents, which were widely cited in English policy sources. This disparity likely stemmed from the local focus of the Japanese policy documents compared to the international orientation of the German policy documents on this subject.

The first case study also found that countries with higher English proficiency tended to have shorter citation lags. This suggests that English proficiency may play a role in how quickly research is integrated into policy, although this was not observed in the second case study on gender equity.

Facilitators - the role of IGOs

International governmental organisations (IGOs) were found to be crucial in facilitating cross-border knowledge exchange. They serve as central conduits, translating scientific implications into policy across different languages and regions. 

The study also noted challenges, such as the lack of coverage for local policy documents in native languages in Overton and other databases, which can hinder the visibility and impact of non-English research in the global policy discourse.

The need for inclusive research communication

This study demonstrates how language impacts the reach and longevity of scholarly work in international policy discourse and emphasises the need for a better way forward. To ensure that policy relevant research insights aren’t smothered simply because they’re published in a specific language, we need better communication strategies to bridge the gap between research and policy. 

To truly bridge the research-to-policy gap, it's important to continue exploring not just language, but also other factors that may influence the integration of research into policy, ensuring that scientific knowledge effectively informs decision-making processes worldwide.

Read the full report here