What we research

In today’s world, hard choices have to be made about how to work together for the common good. ICR Research shares the belief of UNESCO that “…to achieve lasting peace, economic and political agreements among States are not enough. We must bring people together and strengthen the intellectual and moral solidarity of humankind, through mutual understanding and dialogue between cultures.” To make this vision a reality, evidence-led policy and strategy, based on data, evidence, and analysis, are essential.

Our research therefore focuses on:

  • Public policies and strategies for international engagement that involve multilateral and international organisations, states, sub-national actors (regions, cities), their agencies, and their multiple stakeholders, networks, and partnerships.

  • The structures, institutions, and actors involved, including Multilateral and International Organisations, Ministries, Higher Education, cultural organisations and civil society.

  • Practices and modes of engagement dedicated to international engagement and cooperation.

  • Knowledge Diplomacy: the sites and flows of knowledge creation and sharing and its crucial role in tackling global challenges.

  • Digital Influence: understanding how influence works in the digital space, and the policies and strategies needed.

  • The enablers of successful international engagement (skills, technologies, innovation, sustainability).

Our research principles

Our principles are those of the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity:

  • Reliability in ensuring the quality of research, reflected in the design, the methodology, the analysis and the use of resources.

  • Honesty in developing, undertaking, reviewing, reporting and communicating research in a transparent, fair, full and unbiased way including declaration of ay conflict of interest.

  • Respect for colleagues, research participants, society, ecosystems, cultural heritage and the environment.

  • Accountability for the research from idea to publication, for its management and organisation, for training, supervision and mentoring, and for its wider impacts.

Our research methods

We draw on the vast knowledge of research methods of our network of academics and practitioners. Their expertise includes:

  • Quantitative and qualitative methods, including comparative analysis, computational methods, policy analysis, and impact evaluation.

  • Experience in the commissioning, design, procurement and management of research. That gives us client focus and the capacity to advise on research strategy as well as on the delivery of research projects.

  • Innovative digital methods for gathering, analysing and understanding what large groups of people think, enabled by advanced statistics and machine learning (Polis).

  • Informatics, data visualisation, neuroscience, branding and communications (via the DIIL Consortium).