Academic knowledge brokers in Iran’s health sector: Characteristics, skills, and qualifications

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Knowledge brokers, as a bridge between producers and users of knowledge, need a set of skills and abilities to fulfill their role. The current study was carried out with the aim of identifying the characteristics, skills, and qualifications needed by knowledge brokers in Iran’s health sector. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This qualitative study was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 18 participants selected using social network analysis and snowball method from June to December 2022. All interviews were analyzed through the conventional content analysis method using the MAXQDA, version 20. RESULTS: Two main categories (personality traits and professional competencies) and six subcategories (extroversion, acceptability, problem-solving skills, interactive skills, specialized skills, and specialized knowledge) were identified for knowledge brokers in Iran’s health sector. Interpersonal communication skills, negotiation and persuasion skills, knowledge in both policymaking and research fields, and marketing and commercialization skills were defined as the most important factors in knowledge brokering. CONCLUSION: Identifying and training qualified and interested individuals to undertake the task of knowledge brokering, by taking into account the characteristics identified in this research and strengthening the required skills and qualifications, can increase the effectiveness of knowledge brokering and help to bridge the gap between research and policymaking.