Table 4 Researcher perspectives on what supports knowledge mobilization

THEME 1:

The mixed value of knowledge mobilization in academic systems

Academic institutions may view KM as secondary to traditional academic outputs

All the systems are set up in terms of numbers of papers… I can definitely say that that hampers a lot of people. Like if I say to you, “Oh, you should submit a thing for TED-Ed. It’ll only take a few hours,” a lot of people go, “Oh, but that's not going to lead to a paper. And so it's not worth my time.” [0509]

Funding agencies’ value of KM influences support available

I don't think they understand implementation science because they all say the effectiveness has been proven, what are you doing? Like just do it. And like, yeah, but we need to implement it. … So, I’m not getting the funding. [1276]

External policies and incentives as motivators for researchers to partake in KM activities

But that [funding agencies are] looking, from what I understand, more fondly upon work that can demonstrate it has impact rather than just, you know, occurring in research journals. But if it can be translated, it's like a necessary part now. [8735]

THEME 2:

A perceived need for greater knowledge of knowledge mobilization processes

Lacking an understanding of formal KM processes and theory

I don't even know how to describe it…I often don't have the lingo necessarily and use the lingo that other people do. [3261]

Degree of clarity on KM processes influenced whether researchers felt they had the skills to engage in it

… I thought I know nothing about knowledge translation. In fact, I did. Because I was a clinical nurse educator, I’d been doing these things for years in my own practice. But I felt I knew nothing. And in fact, when I learned about what [KM] is, I thought yeah, I do that, I've been doing that, I've done that. [3363]

Lacking certainty around when to engage in KM

…To translate that knowledge to the people with lived experience of pain or clinicians [who] can access it, sometimes I worry… do we have enough information on the research side of things to show that it has a benefit and doesn't have a harm before we do that? And so my hesitation in engaging more in the knowledge translation is that I don't know if we have those answers yet to do that in the space that I'm in. [8735]

Knowledge of KM provides guidance and confidence

You sort of have this method that is ready to go, tested, developed oftentimes by brilliant scientists. You sort of, again, buy in. You can trust that kind of branding. And then in that way, supports the implementation of your project. [0903]

THEME 3:

Leveraging colleagues’ knowledge mobilization visibility to support implementation

Colleagues’ successful KM projects bring credibility and acceptability to implementation initiatives

…To have been able to come in and say we're part of this unit that has been developed by [name], whatever we say kind of goes. It's very weird and very powerful and very cool. [0460]

Branding of an initiative communicates credibility

…There's a bit of a branding thing to leverage the notoriety, the strength of these organizations to give your implementation more credibility… [it] helps with uptake because people realize that you're on to something and you've partnered with these groups that are doing great things. [0903]

Uneasiness in developing branding of KM initiatives

…I think people put a face on [KM]. And they don't have to do that, right. They can just do the knowledge translation work. But sometimes they put their face on it, and put a flag in, and they're like, “It's my work.” And I'm not always sure, I’m like is that what we should be doing? Shouldn't we just be translating it rather than being like it’s my knowledge translation work? [8735]

THEME 4:

Strong project teams emerge from collaborators with diverse expertise

Inclusion of diverse voices can ensure the relevance and impact of a KM initiative

We're always engaging patient partners, family member partners, other people with lived experience, clinicians, and then, of course, researchers as well in the work that we do. So I think that at the end of the day that they're kind of more ready for dissemination. [0903]

Presence of team members with practical know-how of how to share evidence

I can give you the information that needs to be in there, and somebody else needs to put their magic wand on it to make it look beautiful and attractive, and people will want to read it. [1276]

Necessity for connection and understanding between team members

…One thing I'm doing constantly is talk as much as you can with the clinicians…These type of folks who can understand both things really well become critical, you know, because they understand the complexity of the research that is being carried out, and to which extent we can actually conclude something… [9192]

Connections with colleagues and changemakers

…Have a few friends in those domains where you can actually ask important questions. Like, “Hey, I don't get this. Can this be helpful for me? I'm trying to elucidate this question. Can this method help me or not?” You know, be able to have people that have that knowledge and that you can trust to have a conversation, right.” [9192]

THEME 5:

Collaborative leadership is idealized

Collaborative leaders leverage the skills and strengths of team members

I think the co-design work that I do as a researcher is emblematic of my leadership style in general. Which is really to lead from the middle and sort of organize a team around me, recognizing everybody's strengths, and leveraging those to do work. And I think that's quite an effective way to get the buy-in on the units to do this type of implementation work. [0903]

Mutual respect and a shared vision of the KM initiative

I mean I think having shared goals and a shared vision for engaging in the implementation process, for hearing other people's perspectives, and not coming in and saying as the expert and thinking that this is the way that you need to change clinical practice. Versus hearing from the system and taking time to understand the system, understand the needs of the system. [5136]

Leaders collaboratively determine roles, expectations, and boundaries

I'm personally just learning to try and have those conversations as soon as possible and just get all the roles really, really clear…Clarify everything right upfront, and like, this is how I'm going to attend meetings, and this is how often I can look at drafts or whatever. [0509]

Acknowledging power hierarchies is essential to manage them

I think if there is a power imbalance, but it's either pretended not to be there, and it's not sort of clear about what people's roles are, that becomes a challenge, right. And people tend to butt heads, I think, when they thought they had one type of relationship and then it switches. [3261]