Civil society organisations such as voluntary groups, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), or charitable foundations increasingly use and produce evidence. This can take lots of different forms: reports, research, briefings. And as greater quantities of data and information become available for public use, this opens even greater possibilities for users outside of traditional academic settings.
But evidence can be used in many ways, and for many purposes. What is the situation confronting civil society organisations? This document shows key factors that influence how some organisations in the UK use and think about evidence. Although they range from individuals and organisations to sectors and issue areas, they collectively lead to some key insights for practitioners and researchers.
