Abstract:
The impetus to ensure that research findings make their way to better services is nothing new. In fact, the importance of linking research findings to improve services, and the most effective ways to do that, have been debated in the literature for decades. In the early 1990s, the terms ‘research translation’ and ‘translational research’ were widely used in response to significant increases in basic or clinical science discoveries with little improvement in the provision of healthcare and in health outcomes (Davidson, 2011; Szilagyi, 2009). These concepts initially focused on health science, moving research from the now-popular term, ‘bench-to-bedside’. Translational research literature has increased in volume and complexity across different disciplines over the years to the point where this can now be regarded as a science in its own right.