Unlike traditional researchers, we don’t just study the issues. Instead, we partner with organizations to create research for impact. Through collaboration, we equip professionals in a variety of fields and sectors with actionable insights and tools for amplifying their impacts, generating shared understandings, and creating solutions to the complex problems confronting both their communities and the nation as a whole.

Read on to see how we can help your organization bring knowledge to action! And if you want to learn more, please contact Knology CEO Joanna Laursen Brucker at joannalb@knology.org.

Our Core Services

Research

Looking for a research partner that can help you:

make sense of complex social issues?
close the gap between theory and practice?
make decisions based on data instead of guesses?
scale solutions that actually work?

Three visitors in a wood-paneled library reading room examine a large historic map on a table. — "[Knology] have been thoughtful, creative, and practical partners. The findings were serious and reliable, and the research was invaluable. We are unqualified fans of the Knology team!" (Center for Brooklyn History)

Situated at the nexus of theory and practice, our research uses social science tools to create new pathways for bridging knowledge and action. Unlike traditional research-to-practice approaches that aim to make existing research “actionable” within a given real-world context, our work begins on the ground, generating research questions that emerge from conversations with practitioners.

To make sure partners can use the ideas and resources that result from our work, we’re committed to accessibility and transparency. We publicly share our research in a variety of formats (reports, peer-reviewed publications, blog posts, and other types of digital media) to suit the needs of our different audiences. For more on specific ways we can assist you through research, click here. And for examples of our research, see our Community page.

Evaluation

“Knology is a strategic thought partner. They have helped us to explore big ideas that would have been difficult for us to tackle on our own. Knology’s combination of expertise and collaboration is not easy to find.” (New England Aquarium)

Looking for an evaluation partner that can help you:

figure out how your work is making a difference?
use data to tell the story of your work and its impact?
address questions of interest to you (and not just your funder)?
improve the quality of a given project, program, product, or service?

As evaluators, we work alongside our partners to collaboratively study and solve real world challenges in real time. Our evaluative approach is guided by two key principles: (1) that evaluators should be “critical friends”; (2) that evaluation should be utilization-focused, fostering learning and iterative improvements that benefit both individuals and communities. As with our research, we employ a mixed-methods model in our evaluative practices, using complementary types of data collection (including workshops, surveys, interviews, focus groups, and think aloud sessions) to ensure the validity of our findings and advance evidence-informed recommendations that help partners better align their work and their goals. To provide contextually appropriate solutions that help organizations strengthen their impact and more effectively engage their communities, we utilize a framework of cultural responsiveness. We work with an external Institutional Review Board, and all of our evaluations are conducted in accordance with the ethical principles that guide human subjects research.

Capacity Building

Looking for a partner that can help you:

build up your internal evaluation capacities?
independently collect data on program impacts?
set organizational priorities and align your work with core values?
clearly articulate organizational goals, achievements, and impacts for varied audiences?

“Knology has been a valued research and evaluation partner on a range of ALA projects for over a decade. Their team consistently brings extensive expertise and insight to every project. They’re excellent thought partners and consistently deliver high-quality work that helps us effectively demonstrate project impact” (American Library Association).

We connect professionals in a variety of sectors with practical information, tools, and techniques for building their internal capacities through learning workshops tailored to your specific needs and goals. Specific workshops focus on logic model development, program evaluation, gap analysis, survey design, social science writing, and tools for assessing capacity.

Sample Work Outputs

Our goal as an organization is to create new pathways for research in service of the public good. Toward that end, we produce resources that leaders, decision-makers, and professionals can use to strengthen the impact of their work. Examples of these resources include:

“We were so thrilled to be a part of the BlackRep4Kids project Knology developed. They really have a strong understanding of how to bring together a multi-faceted cohort of partners. In addition to helping all partners bond over common goals, they did a great job executing on these goals. From the first session through the final wrap-up, Knology excelled in figuring out how to let individual project partners shine” (Highlights Foundation).

In addition to publishing articles and reports on our website, we also produce digital content for our partners (for an example, see the analyses and case studies we regularly post on the American Library Association's Programming Librarian website). We also present research findings via social media, using LinkedIn and YouTube to engage audiences and inform debates and discussions connected to our core areas of expertise.

“Before we do any story for broadcast or our website/social media, we make sure to assess the data upon which it is based… The information we are learning from Knology’s research is proving invaluable for guidance for writers and editors alike.” (PBS News Hour).

Taken together, these outputs empower partners to create programs, policies, and practices that align with both stakeholder and community needs, and that help them broaden and deepen their impacts.

Our work is supported through a combination of fee-for-service contracts and competitive grants (from both federal agencies and private organizations). Since 2016, we have undertaken an average of more than 50 projects per year. Resulting in a diverse array of outputs (publications, workshops and professional development seminars, databases, toolkits, etc.), these projects have benefited non-profit leaders, business leaders, philanthropists, and academic researchers—along with the varied audiences served through our partners' work. For more on the results of our work, please see our "Social Impacts" statement.

Work With Us!

In recognition of the fact that we are better together than operating in isolation, our work connects leaders, decision makers, experts, and practitioners across a range of corporate, governmental, and non-profit sectors. Our partners have historically included:

Cultural institutions (libraries, museums, zoos, aquariums, etc.)
Media organizations
Health organizations
Public schools
Game developers
Community organizations
Professional associations
Philanthropic organizations and foundations
Non-profit organizations
US federal agencies

Exterior of Liberty Science Center with a long glass façade and large green letters reading “liberty science center,” viewed on a clear day with trees and walkways in front. — “We appreciate Knology’s commitment to our project. From the beginning, they took the time to understand our needs, goals, and unique data constraints. Throughout the project, their communication has been excellent, with consistent updates and proactive outreach. Knology has also demonstrated great flexibility and responsiveness, helping us find the best approach to ensure that the requirements of both our institution and our partner institution were fully considered and met without compromising the integrity of the project and its findings. We are excited about the progress of our project and look forward to our continued collaboration with Knology” (Liberty Science Center).

Interested in learning more about how you could partner with Knology to take your organization’s work to the next level? Please get in touch with Knology CEO Joanna Laursen Brucker at joannalb@knology.org. Through collaboration, we have the power to transform whole sectors, using social science to make the world a better place.