Table 3 Two main concepts of research use.

Types of research utilization[6, 22, 32, 39, 40]

Instrumental

When research is acted upon in specific and direct ways, i.e. to solve a problem at hand

Conceptual

Contributing to improved understanding of the subject matter, related problems, more general and indirect form of enlightenment

Symbolic

Justify a position or course of action for reasons that have nothing to do with the research findings (political use) or use the fact that research is being done to justify inaction on other fronts (tactical use)

Ladder of research utilization[13, 31, 54]

1. Reception

Research results are received by actors

2. Cognition

Research results are read and understood

3. Reference

Research results change a way of thinking by actors

4. Effort

Efforts are made to get the research results into policy even when this was not successful

5. Adoption

Research results has direct influence not only on the policy process but on the context of the policy

6. Implementation

Research results not only has been used for policy formulation but also translated into practice

7. Impact

This refers to successful implemented policy initiated by research results.