October 2006

Building Effective Research Policy Networks

Linking Function and Form

This paper addresses some of the main characteristics of networks to explain how they can better carry out their given functions. The author presents a brief summary of the roles and functions of networks and offers a literature review to highlight some of their main criteria. He then looks at some of the key structural issues affecting real networks, taking some examples from Peru. The paper also includes an overall framework for studying networks’ form and function. The author concludes by addressing emerging issues in the relationship between function and form.

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