Overview

The Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) has a broad interest in policy-relevant applied research. All our Research Programs contribute directly or indirectly to understanding and influencing policy.

The policy analysis and evaluation perspective of our research asks questions about whether policies are effective, affordable and best-value.

It also addresses the good governance aspects of decision-making by public agencies, including issues of performance, accountability and integrity.

Researchers in the Institute are actively involved in analysing a large range of policy areas including:

• poverty and social disadvantage;
• housing;
• health and aged care;
• indigenous services;
• children and families;
• education and workforce issues;
• security and justice issues;
• environmental sustainability issues; and
• general policy-related issues such as evidence-bases for decision-making, and the relationship between research and decision-making.

Projects                             

• Evidence-based policy and research utilisation
• Disability services early intervention - program evaluation
• Queensland policy governance issues
• The science/policy interface, knowledge-brokering, and forms of collaboration necessary to build better child and youth services
• Health and aged-care policy analysis
• Planning the Future Queensland Public Service (QPS) Workforce

 People

• Professor Brian Head
• Professor Andrew Jones
• Professor Mark Western
• Professor Paul Boreham
• Professor John Quiggin
• Professor Stephen Bell
• Dr Linda Colley
• Ms Michele Ferguson
• Ms Jenny Bell
• Ms Jenny Van Der Arend
• Mr Chris Salisbury
• Ms Sally Pitkin
• Ms Raelene Garvey

Publications

For a select list of publications relating to this program area, please click here.

In the media

Thompson, M. ‘Let’s close the gap between academics and policy makers: Peter Shergold on changing the system’, The Conversation, 8 November, 2011. Available online at: http://theconversation.edu.au/lets-close-the-gap-between-academics-and-policy-makers-peter-shergold-on-changing-the-system-4191

‘Five minutes with Peter Shergold: “There needs to be a much great negotiated understanding between academics and policy-makers about what the expectations of research are”, Impact of Social Sciences, The London School of Economics and Political Science, 18 November, 2011. Available online at: http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2011/11/18/five-minutes-with-peter-shergold/