2026 Winter meet-up: Relaunching the DFC global research database

On 15 January, the DFC brought together researchers, civil society organisations, policymakers, and practitioners for our online Winter meet-up. The event marked the relaunch of the DFC’s Research Database.

Event note 15 January 2026, DFC Winter meet-up

As children’s digital lives become increasingly complex, so too does the evidence needed to understand and respond to emerging risks and opportunities. Research is expanding rapidly across disciplines, countries and sectors, yet much of this knowledge remains fragmented, difficult to access, or disconnected from policy and practice. The relaunch of the DFC's Global Research Database responds directly to this challenge by offering users a new quick search tool and interactive map, designed by Gazal Shekhawat, to facilitate use by both academic and non-academics looking to engage with good quality research from around the world.

Access the DFC's Global Research Database

A shared infrastructure for evidence and impact

At the Winter meet-up, participants reflected on the importance of shared research infrastructures in shaping more informed public debate and more effective policy responses. Easy access to evidence helps move conversations beyond anecdote and crisis-driven narratives, enabling deeper understanding of emerging trends such as generative AI, platform design, online gambling and children’s wellbeing.

The discussion positioned the database as a tool to support knowledge mobilisation, by improving discoverability, encouraging interdisciplinary dialogue, and enabling stakeholders to quickly identify relevant evidence for specific policy or advocacy contexts. This function was seen as particularly important in fast-moving regulatory environments, where timely access to evidence can shape outcomes.

Bridging research, policy and practice

A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the need to close the gap between academic research and real-world decision-making. Valuable evidence too often remains locked behind paywalls, disciplinary boundaries, or technical language. The database aims to bridge these divides by improving discoverability, supporting synthesis, and enabling users to quickly locate research relevant to specific policy, regulatory, and advocacy contexts.

Several contributors reflected on how accessible research infrastructures can strengthen advocacy and accountability efforts. By consolidating evidence on platform practices, regulatory impacts, and children’s lived experiences, the database can support more strategic engagement with policymakers, regulators, and industry actors.

Participants also highlighted the value of research repositories in enabling cross-sector coalition-building, allowing diverse stakeholders to align around shared evidence bases and coordinated advocacy strategies.

Building a global and inclusive evidence base

The relaunch also reaffirmed the DFC’s commitment to supporting global and context-sensitive perspectives. Children’s digital experiences vary widely across regions, cultures, and socioeconomic settings. Locally grounded research is essential for understanding both risks and opportunities, particularly in contexts that remain underrepresented in global debates.

Participants emphasised the importance of ensuring that the database reflects diverse geographical contexts and research traditions, particularly from the Global South. Locally grounded evidence was identified as essential for understanding emerging harms, contextual opportunities, and culturally specific patterns of digital engagement.

Looking ahead

The Winter meet-up marked not only a relaunch, but a new phase in the database’s development. Over the coming months, DFC will continue to expand and curate the platform, enhance its functionality, and explore partnerships that strengthen its reach and impact.

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