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Table 1 Multiple definitions and visions of HPSR

From: Donor support for Health Policy and Systems Research: barriers to financing and opportunities for overcoming them

Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR) focuses on “how societies organize themselves to achieve health goals” [16]. This research remit entails generating new and reliable knowledge on health policy and systems, and promoting its application in health interventions by competent policymakers [17]. In this context, strengthening domestic research capacities to undertake HPSR and expanding opportunities to feed this research into the policy process is essential for delivering effective and sustainable improvements in health [17].

 Operations research refers to the production of knowledge that can be used to resolve problems in health interventions [18].

 Implementation science refers to the study of how to improve the uptake, implementation and translation of research findings into routine practices [18].