Bridging the gap between research and practice
McIntyre, Donald 2006 (abstract only, full text available to purchase)
The premise of this paper is that the acknowledged gap between research and practice is primarily a gap between two sharply contrasting kinds of knowledge. This article discusses the difference between pedagogical knowledge (practical knowledge) versus propositional knowledge (theoretical knowledge) which underlies the gap between research and practice and the reason why we have need for knowledge brokering activities. Three possible ways of bridging this gap are also explored.

Because the research is done to address some specific problem as the researchers understand it, when it is translated back to practical knowledge, the assumptions that were used to conduct the research may not hold (due to the difference in the types of knowledge).  The author is specifically referring to the educational system in the UK, but the classifications of knowledge extend to any field where research and practice (policy) intersect.

The invisible made visible: using impact evaluations to illuminate and inform the role of knowledge intermediaries (pdf 249kb)
Meagher, Laura and Lyall, Catherine 2009
The authors have found that rigorous evaluations of non-academic impacts of publicly-funded research can capture insights and good practice. This paper draws on several evaluations of innovative funding schemes in the UK which seek to promote change at the individual, institutional or cultural level.  Findings from these evaluations highlight the importance of interactive processes and an emphasis on the role of 'knowledge intermediaries' that can enhance the likelihood that research findings will be utilised beyond academia.  The authors argue that learning from evaluation can thus accelerate and deepen the interactive relationships between researchers and research users that can contribute to the Knowledge Economy.

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