Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Master of Health Information Science

Program

Health Information Science

Supervisor

Wathen, Nadine C.

Abstract

Knowledge mobilization (KMb) is the process of sharing research evidence to address important health and social issues, including intimate partner violence (IPV). While Canadian researchers contribute significantly to IPV research, their efforts to mobilize this knowledge beyond academic audiences are less known. This study used a mixed methods approach, integrating both quantitative and qualitative analyses to explore the KMb of Canadian IPV researchers to practice, policy, and public audiences. A systematic search identified 58 publicly available KMb products (e.g., news articles, infographics, reports, etc.). KMb products were analyzed inductively using qualitative content analysis and descriptive statistics. Most products focused on IPV interventions and understanding the problem of IPV. Common dissemination strategies across products were institutional/organizational websites and news websites. This study contributes to an emerging literature on how specific knowledge-sharing strategies can be used to promote the uptake of evidence, in this case, specific to IPV. Further research is needed to assess the effectiveness of these efforts to enhance policy and practice.

Summary for Lay Audience

Knowledge mobilization (KMb) is about making sure research findings are used to solve important health and social problems, like intimate partner violence (IPV). Canadian researchers do a lot of work on IPV, but we don’t know much about how they share their findings with people beyond academic papers and presentations. This study used a mixed method approach, combining numerical and textual analysis to look at what knowledge Canadian IPV researchers share, and how they share it, with professionals, policymakers, and the public. As part of a larger project on Canadian IPV research, this study searched for KMb materials from selected Canadian IPV researchers. The search focused on materials about IPV that were not academic papers and were publicly available. These materials were analyzed to see what topics they covered and what form they took. A total of 58 KMb materials, mostly in English and some in French, such as articles, videos, infographics, blog posts, and reports were included. These materials mainly discussed topics such as interventions to address IPV, IPV during the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding what IPV is, and how to help victims. Over half of these materials were shared through institutional/organizational websites and news websites. This study helps us understand how IPV knowledge is shared in Canada and supports the development of better strategies for spreading this information. More research is needed to see how effective these methods are in preventing and addressing IPV.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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