Table 5 Scoring criteria utilised in research impact and research use assessments

Reach of impact amongst end-users (e.g. local uptake vs. international/multi-country impact) ^{[16, 42, 54]}

Degree of influence of research on the policy decision in relation to other factors and/or other sources of information ^{[37, 74]} [1]

Importance/significance of the policy change (e.g. the degree to which the policy change is likely to lead to improved health outcomes) ^{[16, 42, 54]}

Consistency between the available evidence and the policy decision (i.e. the degree to which the policy decision reflects the available evidence) ^{[90, 91, 113]}

Degree of the influence/attribution of the research on the policy outcome in relation to other factors and sources of information ^{[16, 42, 54]}

Quality of research used to inform the decision (e.g. critical appraisal of the quality and type of research used) ^[62]

Corroboration of the claimed impact (e.g. degree to which the claim is supported by evidence from policy documents or decision-makers) ^[16]

Extent of research use compared to what was available for use ^{[74, 131]}

Requirements for use compared to actual use ^{[117, 130]}