Parliament research and fact sheets

Why engage?

Academic engagement is important for legislatures because it enables the strengthening of scrutiny.

There are many reasons researchers choose to engage with parliaments. Often it can simply be due to a desire to be part of the democratic process.

Other reasons may include:

to support parliamentarians in their work of scrutinising the Scottish Government, legislating, debating important issues and checking and approving Government spending
to shape and change policy and the policy agenda
to have demonstrable research impact
to raise the profile of your research and broaden its dissemination
to get a different perspective on your research
to develop new research questions and projects shaped by 'real-world' questions
to grow your network
to be presented with new opportunities and have new experiences