Dealing with the complexity of evaluating knowledge transfer strategies: Guiding principles for developing valid instruments

While there is an abundance of theoretical literature on knowledge transfer strategies, the evidence on their effectiveness remains limited. There is a need to support researchers and practitioners seeking to strengthen the validity of the instruments they develop to evaluate knowledge transfer strategies. Based on an analysis of the literature in three fields of research—health, human and social sciences, and programme evaluation—we propose five guiding principles for this purpose. We also discuss critical issues pertaining to the practices involved in evaluating knowledge transfer strategies.