Publication

10.43  Finally, there is the issue of publication and the form that this should take. Departments, devolved administrations, and their agencies will have specific protocols and procedures for this which should be followed and which can be discussed, as needed, with the relevant Head of Profession/Senior Analyst.

10.44  However, in general terms the case for publishing the results of evaluations and information about methodological approaches and research instruments is three-fold:

•  it is an integral part of public accountability;

•  it helps to improve the credibility of findings by opening them up for wider peer review (NB the importance therefore of including a clear account of the context in which the research was planned and carried out as well as details of the research methodology); and

•  it contributes towards a learning legacy that transcends the passage of time and people. Credibility is also served where detailed evaluation reports are produced and made publicly available, where their findings are presented and discussed at academic and research gatherings, and they find their way into public datasets.

10.45  In order to maximise the impact of the evaluation research a dissemination strategy should also be considered. It will not be practical to have tailored outputs for each possible audience so it will be necessary to prioritise, taking into account factors such as who funded the work; who the stakeholders are; and who is in a position to react to the findings.

10.46  One particular avenue for dissemination that is worth considering is publication in a recognised journal. There can be benefits for the researcher and the commissioning government department, including:

•  greater credibility for the research;

•  wider dissemination of the results;

•  exposure to peer review before publication (although as noted in Chapter 4, peer review can be undertaken without a journal publication); and

•  critical scrutiny after publication.

10.47   For these reasons, it is usually worth allowing and even encouraging such publication.