Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) is often criticised for lacking rigour, being unclear in its scope and nature, providing a weak basis for generalisation of its findings and therefore offering limited value for decision-makers.
To address these concerns the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research has launched the first ever Reader: Health Policy and Systems Research: A Methodology Reader.
This Reader aims to provide a basis of understanding, ideas and experience to strengthen the quality of HPSR – including a collection of high quality papers that demonstrate the application of different HPSR strategies and methods.
Edited by RESYST researcher Lucy Gilson of the University of Cape Town and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, this publication provides guidance on the defining features of HPSR and the critical steps in conducting research in this field. It showcases the diverse range of research strategies and methods encompassed by HPSR.
The target audience for the Reader includes researchers, teachers and students, as well as those working within health systems, and particularly those working in low-and middle-income countries.
The Reader is available electronically on the Alliance web site: http://www.who.int/alliance-hpsr/resources/reader