Replication Data for: Why Do Practitioners Want to Connect with Researchers? Evidence from a Field Experiment

Researchers often want to increase the broader societal impact of their work. One way to do that is to discuss research findings directly with practitioners. Yet such interactions are voluntary and do not regularly arise, which raises a key demand question: Under what conditions do practitioners want to connect with researchers? In this paper I show that relational considerations affect these decisions – that is, what practitioners expect the interaction will be like. I partner with a US-based civic association to conduct a field experiment. I find that chapter leaders in this association are more likely to speak with researchers after learning that the researchers will (a) efficiently share information during the interaction and (b) value practitioners’ knowledge. The results provide actionable guidance for how researchers should approach practitioners, and also demonstrate one powerful way that social science evidence can inform efforts to bridge research and practice.