Proceedings of the 12th European Conference on Knowledge ...

Charles Gagné et al
This paper presents <strong>the</strong> Research and Knowledge Translation Cycle developed by <strong>the</strong> Institut de
recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et sécurité au travail 1 (IRSST) and <strong>the</strong> conditions implemented to
enhance SH participation in <strong>the</strong> KT activities organized as part <strong>of</strong> this research project on knowledge
management in <strong>the</strong> Quebec mining sector.
2. The IRSST Research and Knowledge Translation Approach
Knowledge translation is a process which <strong>the</strong> IRSST, as a research and granting organization, uses
to promote <strong>the</strong> appropriation <strong>of</strong> research results in workplaces. Although <strong>the</strong>re is no consensus on <strong>the</strong>
definition <strong>of</strong> KT (Graham 2006), <strong>the</strong> IRSST gives it a comprehensive definition that includes <strong>the</strong>
concepts <strong>of</strong> both knowledge sharing and knowledge exchange.
In 2006, following a strategic organizational repositioning, <strong>the</strong> IRSST created a specific department to
support researchers in knowledge translation activities. Knowledge Transfer Advisors (KTA) were
assigned to all research field programs to help implement KT strategies and enhance SH involvement
in research activities. By explicitly including KT activities as a requirement for awarding research
grants and by providing specialized resources to guide researchers, <strong>the</strong> IRSST clearly demonstrated
its strong commitment to making research results available to end-users. It <strong>the</strong>refore undertook to
develop a sustainable approach that would support researchers in this regard, by identifying a broad
range <strong>of</strong> issues, proposing solutions and integrating <strong>the</strong>se solutions into a framework <strong>of</strong> practice.
The framework <strong>of</strong> practice was developed through a rigorous process led by knowledge transfer
researchers and KTAs. The process was based on an extensive scientific literature review and a
structured analysis <strong>of</strong> KT activities carried out at <strong>the</strong> IRSST in <strong>the</strong> past 15 years. The framework
incorporates <strong>the</strong> various phases <strong>of</strong> knowledge transformation required to promote <strong>the</strong> appropriation <strong>of</strong>
this knowledge: generation, transformation, diffusion, reception, adoption and utilisation (Roy et al,
2003).
The IRSST Research and Knowledge Translation Cycle (Figure 1 - www.irsst.qc.ca/en/organizationalpriority.html)
includes eight steps that can be grouped into four major phases (anchoring, research,
knowledge translation, and evaluation <strong>of</strong> impacts). The objectives sought in each phase and <strong>the</strong>
activities implemented to attain <strong>the</strong>se objectives in our case study in <strong>the</strong> mining sector will be
described in <strong>the</strong> following sections.
In <strong>the</strong> dynamics <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cycle, each step is carried out interactively with <strong>the</strong> partners involved.
Consequently, when needs are expressed and a research project is created prior to submission <strong>of</strong> a
grant application, <strong>the</strong> researchers and partners interact in order to ensure that <strong>the</strong> goal <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> project
meets <strong>the</strong> needs and corresponds to <strong>the</strong> realities <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> potential users. This anchoring in reality right
from <strong>the</strong> start <strong>of</strong> a project also allows for <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> a context that will be conducive to <strong>the</strong>
appropriation and use <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> research results by <strong>the</strong> various end-users. The anchoring process
reflects <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> integrating a knowledge translation strategy right from <strong>the</strong> start <strong>of</strong> a
research project (Ward et al, 2010).
The IRSST Research and Knowledge Translation Cycle is structured around <strong>the</strong> development and
maintenance <strong>of</strong> networks that represent all <strong>the</strong> actors (researchers, employer and worker
associations, and prevention associations). The dynamics <strong>of</strong> this approach respect <strong>the</strong> principle <strong>of</strong>
union-management cooperation that characterizes occupational health and safety activities in <strong>the</strong>
province <strong>of</strong> Quebec. Recognizing that KT cannot be limited to <strong>the</strong> simple dissemination <strong>of</strong> results after
a research project has been completed, it is essential that SHs be continuously involved in all phases
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> project. For <strong>the</strong> IRSST, research becomes most relevant when workplaces appropriate results.
1 Established in Quebec (Canada) since 1980, <strong>the</strong> IRSST is a non-pr<strong>of</strong>it scientific research organization that contributes,
through research, to <strong>the</strong> prevention <strong>of</strong> industrial accidents and occupational diseases, and to <strong>the</strong> rehabilitation <strong>of</strong> affected
workers.
316