Translating research for policy: the importance of equivalence, function, and loyalty

Abstract The question of how to make academic research more useful government, and frustration over its lack obvious use, have long been the subject policy makers’ scholars’ attention. These driven global development institutionalised links between two communities, while also leading a broad consensus as why goal is often not realised. In order better explain barriers, this paper takes concept “translation” very literally, proposes an innovative approach, which analyses practices using ideas from humanities-based discipline Translation Studies. This enables exploration what constitutes good translation, in particular tension keeping faith with original material users’ understandable emphasis on functionality. conclusion that some aspect content must be maintained, cannot prescribed: appropriate equivalence translation always context-dependent. throws relational aspects translatorial action for promoting “good translation”. argument follows Christiane Nord seeing core issue moral one translator’s loyalty author user, so mutual trust academics civil servants. raises important questions about such can cultivated, finally leads importance endeavour shared by researchers makers, recognises respects their different environments work involved creating meaning scholarly research.