Institute of Development Studies

IDS Knowledge Services - About Us

IDS Knowledge Services seek to provide a bridge between research, policy and practice in international development by delivering and supporting a range of information-sharing services, and strengthening the ability of others to do the same.

With over forty years experience in this field, we aim to help people understand and make sense of the complexities and realities of poverty and injustice, emphasising the importance of using diverse and credible information in decision-making processes. We work closely with other knowledge brokers across the world, and with partners in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Our flagship services include the British Library of Development Studies, Europe's largest research collection on economic and social change in developing countries; BRIDGE, which supports gender advocacy and mainstreaming with print and online information services; and Eldis, a web portal sharing a broad range of publications on development research, policy and practice.

We are also running a number of projects which look at opening up access to research information, stimulating demand for its use, and strengthening the capacity of others also engaged in this knowledge brokering role. Our Impact and Learning Team is exploring this role in the context of research to policy process and testing approaches to planning, monitoring, evaluation, and sharing the wider lessons around this.

We want to work with others to understand and champion the role of information in tackling poverty and injustice and help address the power imbalances and capacity constraints that limit people's ability to access and make use of information.

IDS Knowledge Services News

08 Feb 12 Technical grants available for developers to reuse and repurpose Eldis and BRIDGE data



Technical grants available for developers to reuse and repurpose Eldis and BRIDGE data. Application deadline is 13 February 2012





01 Feb 12 ‘If disasters are changing, why aren’t we?’ asks new disaster guide



A new step-by-step guide aims to promote joined-up thinking and action in disaster risk management and climate change adaptation.





20 Dec 11 What were the top moments in development research from 2011?



Watch IDS researchers share their key moments from 2011 and describe how they think these events and issues will impact on the development research community.





08 Dec 11 Download our latest resource on Gender and Climate Change



Latest thinking on gender and climate change is set out in the new Cutting Edge Pack, published by BRIDGE, IDS' gender advocacy and mainstreaming knowledge service.





02 Dec 11 Agricultural interventions to tackle malnutrition are not reaching the poorest and those most at risk to chronic hunger



The first issue of the 3ie-IDS brief Evidence Matters addresses the fundamental question of whether there is sufficient evidence to show that increased household income and better diets improve children’s nutritional status.