There are different users of academic research in the Scottish Parliament:
MSPs
staff working for MSPs
staff working in research units within political parties
staff working in the Parliament, e.g. in Committees, or in the Parliament’s impartial information centre (SPICe).
There are different ways to provide academic expertise:
giving oral evidence to committees
providing written evidence as part of a public committee enquiry
writing or contributing to SPICe Briefings and/or SPICe Spotlight blogs
becoming a committee advisor
speaking at a SPICe Seminar
becoming a SPICe Fellow
responding to a call for Commissioned Research
joining a Cross-Party Group
Research may be used:
to prepare MSPs ahead of Chamber debates
to inform MSPs when working on subject committees
in SPICe blogs and briefings
to reply to MSPs’ constituents’ enquiries
to assist when submitting questions to the Government
to help prepare for meetings or public speeches
to maintain current awareness in policy areas
Research Impact
The legislatures of the UK including the UK Parliament in Westminster, the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly, and the Northern Ireland Assembly have produced a joint briefing describing the work of legislatures and the ways that research is used.