Knowledge brokering is focused on the skills and aptitudes that link different entities that might not otherwise have a strong relationship. In RPPs, knowledge brokers serve the function of intermediaries who help facilitate relationships between knowledge producers and knowledge users. Other fields, such as environmental science, identify professionals who serve in this capacity as boundary spanners—individuals, programs, or organizations that “facilitate[e] and conven[e] productive exchanges among those involved in understanding and managing complex problems.”
Knowledge brokers or boundary-spanners may be involved at multiple stages of an RPP, from helping to gather or synthesize the evidence needed to identify knowledge gaps, to supporting the implementation or application of research-based practice or policy, to participating in the dissemination, communication, or sharing of research results. As such, effective knowledge brokers are adaptable and possess a broad set of skills and experiences. Foremost among these are the capacity to critically evaluate and analyze sources of information and evidence, strong communication skills, and a solid base of background knowledge in the practice or policy space relevant to the RPP—be it in education, child welfare, juvenile justice, or some other area, but other aptitudes are important as well. Leah Crockett, a knowledge broker in children’s health, identified “relat[ing] to people with a broad range of backgrounds, understand[ing] different ways of thinking, and understand[ing] the different contexts in which information can be used and shared” as important skills for the role.
Knowledge brokers or boundary-spanners may be involved at multiple stages of an RPP, from helping to gather or synthesize the evidence needed to identify knowledge gaps, to supporting the implementation or application of research-based practice or policy, to participating in the dissemination, communication, or sharing of research results. As such, effective knowledge brokers must be adaptable and possess a broad set of skills and experiences. Foremost among these are the capacity to critically evaluate and analyze sources of information and evidence, strong communication skills, and a solid base of background knowledge in the practice or policy space relevant to the RPP (Holgate, 2012, June 8). Of course, other aptitudes are important as well. Leah Crockett, a knowledge broker in children’s health, identified “relat[ing] to people with a broad range of backgrounds, understand[ing] different ways of thinking, and understand[ing] the different contexts in which information can be used and shared” as important skills for the role.
