A Word from the Director

Literature Can Advise Practice

The field of dissemination and knowledge utilization has a substantial literature base. The bulk of the literature is fairly recent ranging over the past 30 to 35 years. Interestingly, some of the literature developed in the 1970s (DAG, 1977) concerning new major conceptual dissemination components such as: spread, choice, exchange, and implementation, remains appropriate and useful today and serves as the "foundation" for further development (Klein and Gwaltney, 1991). Literature addressing such things as new constructs about how people process information in learning activities and the impact of new technologies on the access to relevant information, suggests the need for new considerations in planning effective dissemination and knowledge utilization processes.

The National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR) feels that an awareness of the major literature on dissemination and utilization can be helpful to many grantees interested in:

• developing a broader understanding of the field of dissemination and knowledge utilization,
• learning more about elements of dissemination and knowledge utilization that have been shown to be linked to effectiveness, and/or
• facilitating efforts in planning or evaluating dissemination and utilization activities.

The NCDDR is proud to have produced several new resources for your use. The first is A Review of the Literature on Dissemination and Knowledge Utilization. This review is designed to highlight major areas from the literature that are related to effectiveness in achieving utilization of disseminated information. Frequently, information related to dissemination and utilization is abstract and lengthy, making its application to your day-to-day work difficult. This new 38-page review developed by the NCDDR is designed to be as specific as possible and promote the generation of ideas that can be applied within your NIDRR grant efforts. NIDRR grantees may receive a free copy of this publication by requesting it from the NCDDR. References used in this issue of The Research Exchange are included in the larger reference list of the literature review and are also available upon request.

In an effort to be as user-friendly as possible, the NCDDR has also developed two other related resources:

• Improving the Links between Research and Practice: Approaches to the Effective Dissemination of Disability Research
• Improving the Usefulness of Disability Research: A Toolbox of Dissemination Strategies

These publications are the first two issues of a four-part NCDDR series called Guides for Improving Practice. These guides present selected information from the literature review and other sources in a practical application framework. Each of these guides is eight to ten pages in length and they are available to any NIDRR grantee on a free-of-charge basis.

This issue of The Research Exchange highlights some of the information that is contained in these new publications. I encourage you to ask for your free copy of these publications as soon as you can. In addition, I welcome your feedback about the usefulness of the publications in your day-to-day work. The NCDDR will be developing additional resources for NIDRR grantees and your feedback would be very helpful in making each publication as practical and useful as possible.

John D. Westbrook, Ph.D.
Director, NCDDR

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