Our recently published paper, Theory of systems change: An initial, middle-range theory of public health research impact will be of interest to those engaging in knowledge transfer and exchange.
There is increasing attention on knowledge translation, evidencing research impact and applying a systems thinking perspective in public health. However, there is limited understanding of the extent to which and how public health research that applies a systems thinking perspective contributes to changes in system behaviour and improved population health outcomes. This paper addresses the theoretical limitations of knowledge translation, research impact, theory-based evaluation and systems thinking, by drawing on their respective literature to develop an initial, middle-range Theory of Systems Change, focused on the contribution of public health research that takes a systems perspective on population health outcomes.