ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a qualitative study which explores the impact of politics on the commissioning, conduct and utilisation of government-commissioned research in the formation of education policy in the Ministry of Education (MoE), Taiwan. It aims to illuminate how political dynamics in the policy-making arena could shape the way in which research is commissioned, conducted and used, which is an under-investigated area. It then seeks to make a contribution by providing examples of instances where politics was involved in government-sponsored research in an East Asian context. The chapter examines how political dynamics in the policy-making arena shape and influence the commissioning, conduction and utilisation of research. It focuses on the political side of commissioned research and the policy-making nexus, a dimension which is significant but often ignored by researchers. It then provides insights into the political influences on the commissioning, and conduct of research.
