The existence or creation of knowledge is no guarantee of improvement in health and wellbeing; knowledge needs to be translated or applied for it to have an impact. The Centre for Community Child Health offers expertise in knowledge synthesis and knowledge translation to address the gap between research data, use of the evidence, and development of evidence informed public policy, practice and service delivery.

Knowledge synthesis refers to the process of collating and synthesising the evidence on a particular topic.

At its simplest, knowledge translation is the process of raising awareness of knowledge and facilitating its use. It is not, however, just about dissemination of information - it is also about engagement, participation and impact. We want to mobilise and contextualise knowledge to ensure it is meaningful, useful and, most importantly, has the capacity to bring about change.

Knowledge synthesis and translation draw not only from research, but experience - the expertise of practitioners and the experience of children and families. In our reviews of the evidence, we often use a methodology referred to as the 'realist approach', which considers the evidence from RCTs as well as other forms of evidence, including practice evidence and qualitative evaluations.   

Through our knowledge synthesis and translation services, our aim is to enable:

• decision makers to apply the best available evidence in the development of policy and programs
• practitioners and service providers to use the best available evidence in their practice with children and families
• individuals, families and communities to provide optimal environments that support the healthy development of their children.

We believe that improving the way knowledge is synthesised and shared, will help improve the health, development and wellbeing of children and their families, and enhance health equity.

For more information on our knowledge synthesis expertise, contact:

Dr Tim Moore, Senior Research Fellow, Research and Policy 

For more information on our knowledge translation expertise, contact:

Vikki Leone, Manager, Knowledge Translation