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Two books and review/research articles in Italian have disseminated the findings from the underpinning research on creating false autobiographical memories and the dangers of inadequate interviewing techniques. This work has critically increased awareness in the Italian legal system amongst both barristers and judges, to the point of shaping the practice of interviewing witnesses in that country. It has also informed all verdicts on child sexual abuse by the Supreme Court of Cassation.
Annette Karmiloff-Smith is a world-leading scientist in the field of cognitive development. This case study describes her ongoing work for Procter & Gamble (P&G) as their scientific consultant for baby development that is based on her research into typical and atypical child development. She designed and wrote booklets, DVDs, and articles for the Pampers.com website on different aspects of child development, sleep, and parent-child interactions. This information has reached millions of parents worldwide. She also checks the scientific correctness of the educational information that P&G communicates on its website, and of statements made by P&G advertising.
A research programme of randomised controlled trials undertaken at the University of Southampton demonstrating the efficacy of the New Forest Parenting Programme (NFPP) played a crucial role in: (i) influencing the developers of clinical guidelines to recommend parent training in general as a core part of the treatment of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and (ii) establishing the NFPP, in particular, as a widely employed evidence-based treatment for ADHD, a condition estimated to affect up to 400,000 children in the UK alone. As a direct result of the trials, the programme, a novel therapeutic intervention that teaches parents of preschool children with ADHD how to modify their children's behaviour and improve their self-regulation, has been included in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) and other clinical guidelines and recommended internationally as an effective alternative to medication, which often brings only short-term benefits and is associated with a range of potentially debilitating side-effects.
Sandy Hobbs and Jim McKechnie have been researching the issue of young people's (i.e. under 16 years of age) involvement in employment: this is usually termed child labour or child employment. The goal of this research was to establish an evidence base regarding the nature and extent of child employment in the UK, and to consider the benefits and costs of this experience for young people. The impact of this research has been to raise the level of awareness of this issue within the UK, providing an evidence base that has been used by NGOs, and evaluating policy and practice for local and national government departments in the UK and the Isle of Man.
Work by University of Stirling staff has contributed directly to improved wildlife resource management in the Central African region. Innovative research into the status and trends of key wildlife populations, ecological impacts, resource harvests and trade, drivers of resource use and assessing management success have contributed directly to new thinking on the issue, revisions of laws and policy and to success in attracting foreign aid for management issues. Stirling staff members now advise the Government of Gabon on resource management policies, National Park management and biodiversity issues.
Brunel's research identified the ways in which electrically powered indoor/outdoor chair (EPIOC) use improves the quality of life (QoL) of people with disabilities; key findings have been used to inform public policy, enhance professional standards and international evidenced based guidelines for professional practice and improve the health and social welfare through the empowerment of disabled person's organisations. The impacts are based on the newly gained recognition, based on the research findings, that young people need an EPIOC to provide opportunities for social inclusion, positive risk taking behaviours, successful transition into the work environment and to enable general healthy development and capacity for independent living. Older people need EPIOCs to reduce the physical and emotional stress on elderly carers. The impacts have ensured more effective policies are developed, professional practice is enhanced and more appropriate assessment and prescription services are provided for these service users.
Since 2005, a pioneering set of Oxford University studies has actively informed the development of vidence-based policy, practice, and programming for AIDS-affected children in Sub-Saharan Africa (totalling an estimated 85 million children, orphaned by HIV/AIDS or living with AIDS-ill caregivers). Key impacts include new policies: on psychosocial support; on `young carers' of AIDS-sick parents as well as orphans; and on child abuse prevention for AIDS-affected families. These are based on Oxford findings that revealed major effects of parental AIDS on children's psychological, educational and sexual health. Crucially, the research has also identified modifiable pathways of risk and resilience that have been used to guide interventions. As a result, studies are extensively cited in policy documents of the South African government, US President's Emergency Fund for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR-USAID), UNICEF and Save the Children, and have been used to train over 10,000 health and community staff and to develop programmes reaching millions of children throughout the region.
Professor Dieter Wolke has led several research programmes that delineate the long-term health effects of prenatal exposure to stress and moderate/late preterm, very preterm, and extremely preterm birth. His research has had a direct impact on international medical guidelines and educational recommendations for babies born preterm. The research has also informed European political debate (via a White Paper for the European parliament) on healthcare policy related to after care for preterm or sick children; has influenced UK policy regarding the education of children born preterm; and has contributed to public and practitioner understanding through media items issued, for example, by the NHS and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
This case study focuses on the development and usage of self-help material designed to aid people in feeling and performing better. It has achieved impact through raising awareness via mass media and professional outlets. Research informed self-help materials are available for open access via media links, academic organisations, service organisations (NHS), commercial organisations (London Marathon), national governing bodies (Research Councils), and professional bodies (British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences). An on-line project, run in conjunction with BBC Lab UK, developed and tested self-help interventions with 75,000 users each receiving personalised feedback from former Olympian Michael Johnson.
This case study illustrates the development of novel research materials designed to improve quality of life and performance in different populations. Impact has been achieved through the use of research findings in professional practice, formulation of health-related policies and in the development of new indicators of health and well-being. RCSEP research has been used by international and national health-service organisations (e.g., European League Against Rheumatism, Evidence NHS), industrial establishments (e.g., ArtEZ Conservatoire, Netherlands; Royal Ballet), national governing bodies (British Heart Foundation), and professional bodies (e.g., Dance UK, International Association of Dance Medicine & Science).