How do policy influentials use research-based evidence on the effectiveness of sex education in schools? This study will examine the factors associated with evidence appraisal and use in policy debates and decisions and the ways in which evidence interacts with values, ideology, prior beliefs, and other types of information in shaping decisions. The investigators will study data from archival documents and research reports and articles, and conduct interviews and focus groups with nearly 300 policymakers, advocates, and journalists from the federal, state, and local levels. Sex education is a highly charged topic and this project is designed to learn how research evidence is interpreted and used in such an area.
How do policy influentials use research-based evidence on the effectiveness of sex education in schools?
