Both empirical findings and personal experiences are discussed as they relate to the circumstances in which policymakers, particularly judges and legislators, learn about and use social science research. The first section of the text examines specific legal issues including child developmental research as it relates to child competency and informed consent, the use of research findings by the judiciary, and the ways in which such information is disseminated. The next section examines the means of diffusion of information through legal audiences: information networks used by the Congress, the educational and research programs of the Federal Judicial Center, and periodicals read by juvenile court judges and probation officers. The final section examines ethical and practical issues related to the dissemination of policy-relevant research data, such as, barriers to dissemination stemming from court procedures and ways to overcome them, the role of amicus curiae briefs in introducing child development and social science information into the appellate process, problems in judicial notice mechanisms for information dissemination, means for enhancing judicial notice crucial ethical and professional issues raised by researchers' participation in policymaking, and guidelines for effective information dissemination. Chapter references and index. See NCJ-113736-113745 for individual articles.