From big to small: a process for developing policy-relevant research summaries.

Government departments and not-for-profit agencies expend significant resources commissioning and conducting research, only to find their resulting lengthy reports shelved and unused. In this case study, we describe a project that developed short, policy-relevant research summaries of topics prioritized by the Ontario Women's Health Council, an advisory body to the province's Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. These products were created based on an understanding of policy makers' needs and work contexts and were designed to help users find, understand and utilize research evidence to inform their clinical, programmatic and policy decision-making.