Translational research: implications for the study of work and family

ABSTRACT

Translational research facilitates the application of knowledge gained from research, bridging the divide between research and practice. In the context of work and family studies, translational research can take a variety of forms, depending upon the degree of engagement with stakeholders or end-users of the research. In this study, we defined and examined indicators of translational research in exemplary work and family research publications, in an effort to shed light on the adaptation of translational research perspectives to the work and family field. Using content analysis, we examined indicators of translational research in the 46 articles nominated for the 2018 Rosabeth Moss Kanter Award for work and family research. Of the 46 articles in the study, 24 (52.2%) included content suggesting translational research. The most common indicators of translational research involved presenting practical and policy applications or implications of research findings, while fewer articles mentioned developing sustained research-practice partnerships or engaging stakeholders in study design or implementation. We identify several implications of these findings for work and family scholars, academic organizations, professional associations, and the field of work and family research as a whole.

RESUMEN

La investigación traslacional facilita la aplicación del conocimiento obtenido de la investigación, cerrando la brecha entre investigación y práctica. En el contexto de estudios del trabajo y familia, la investigación traslacional puede adoptar diversas formas, según el grado de compromiso con las partes interesadas o usuarios finales de la investigación. En este estudio, definimos y examinamos indicadores de investigación traslacional en publicaciones ejemplares de investigación del trabajo y familia, en un esfuerzo por esclarecer la adaptación de perspectivas de investigación traslacional al campo del trabajo y familia. Usando análisis de contenidos, examinamos indicadores de investigación traslacional en los 46 artículos nominados para el Premio Rosabeth Moss Kanter 2018 por investigación del trabajo y familia. De los 46 artículos en el estudio, 24 (52.2%) incluyeron contenido que sugiere investigación traslacional. Los indicadores más comunes de investigación traslacional incluyeron la presentación de aplicaciones prácticas y políticas o implicaciones de resultados de investigación; menos artículos mencionaron el desarrollo de colaboraciones continuas entre investigación y práctica o la participación de las partes interesadas en el diseño o implementación de estudios. Identificamos varias implicaciones de estos resultados para académicos del trabajo y familia, organizaciones académicas, asociaciones profesionales, y el campo del trabajo y familia en general.

KEYWORDS:

• Translational research
• work and family
• community partnership
• content analysis

PALABRAS CLAVE:

• Investigación traslacional
• trabajo y familia
• colaboraciones comunitarias
• análisis de contenidos

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Dr. Shelly MacDermid Wadsworth and the Center for Families at Purdue University for information about the Kanter Award and access to the list of all nominees.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Manuel Cano

Manuel Cano, Ph.D., recently completed the doctoral program at Boston College School of Social Work. His research interests center around drug abuse among U.S. Hispanics. Manuel has nearly a decade of clinical experience as a bilingual (English/Spanish) social worker, working with adults with substance use and co-occurring disorders. He is interested in engaging in translational research that involves stakeholders and the community to identify, explore, and address pressing issues in the Hispanic community.

Yoosun Chu

Yoosun Chu, Ph.D., MSW, MSc, is an associate research fellow at Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs. She received her MSW from Boston College, her MSc in Poverty Reduction and Development Management from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. Yoosun worked as a researcher at the Korean Women’s Development Institute in Seoul and as a project manager for a non-governmental organization, Good Neighbors International, in Chad and Kenya for two years. Her research efforts have focused on civic engagement and community capacity building among vulnerable populations, particularly, low-income people and immigrants. Employing both quantitative and community-based participatory research methods, her research aims to answer the following question: how do civic engagement and community capacity impact the lives of marginalized individuals?