Relevant to: Research, Policy
Sector: Social Researchers
Summary: A review of the literature around knowledge brokering.

In this article Myer reviews some of the literature around knowledge brokering and lays out some thoughts on how to analyse and theorise knowledge brokering. While Myer draws on knowledge brokering literature across sectors and disciplines, his commentary is directed at social scientists. In addition, Myer’s review is focused on understanding what knowledge brokers are and what they do, but has very little to say on the practice or process of brokering itself.  Myer’s main message is that knowledge brokers in the social sciences need to analyse more thoroughly their knowledge brokering practices, the devices and tools they create and use to undertake knowledge brokering activities, and the benefits and drawbacks from their peripheral status between the worlds between which they broker. Myer’s focus on the role of knowledge brokering in relation to researchers only and in particular researchers in the social sciences is a limitation of this study as knowledge brokering may also take place in other domains, for example between policy and practice. This may limit the usefulness of Myer’s review to those in other domains. Nonetheless Myer’s review is likely to be of interest at least in better understanding the role of a knowledge broker.

Myer M (2010) The rise of the Knowledge Broker. Science Communication 32(1) 118-127.