Background: One of the main objectives of using systematic methods for primary research synthesis is to inform policy and practice decision makers. However, the research on methods to increase the uptake of research by decision makers is at an early stage of development. The research is held back by a lack of theory and a lack of concrete measures of interventions and outcomes (see for example, Grimshaw 2004).

Objectives: To develop a typology for activities that link research evidence to policy making, facilitating future studies on research utilization (as part of a European Commission funded study).

Methods: A simple model of the evidence to policy system was developed based on previous work by Best (2010) Levin (2004), and Nutley et al (2003). A classification system for describing the content of activities and the mechanism by which they linked research to policy was developed from: (i) theories of evidence use; (ii) the system developed by Nutley et al (2003); (iii) a survey of such activities in Europe.

Results: A typology of 27 activity types and 9 mechanisms that enabled the link between research evidence to policy was developed.

Conclusions: The typology provides practical means for clarifying the nature of knowledge translation activities and for more focused and fruitful studies on research production and use. The typology will be further refined though application to further examples of research to policy linking activities Worldwide.