I guess the difference is in the words implication Vs recommendation. Implication is the outcome result following your analysis, while recomendation is what you proposed or your choice of outcome to follow.

Answer is 'yes'. In simple sense, policy recommendation is a before hand step while the policy implications is an after hand step, i.e. policy implications link your work assessing any existing policy.

According to Hasa (2018), the key difference between implications and recommendations in research activities is the following: implications discuss how the findings of the study may be important while recommendations endorse specific actions that need to be taken with regard to policy, practice, theory, or subsequent research.

Implications and recommendations are two important subsections in research papers. These two sections are typically located at the end of the research study, written after the study has been completed. The recommendation section typically follows the implications section.

Jorge Morales Pedraza I also think that "Policy Implications" talk about what emerges in terms of impacts of policy interventions", where a specific policy or several policies may have been implemented before some time (years) ago. Where as, "policy recommendations" may be the specific recommendations that may come out of a non-implementation or weaker (ineffective) implementation of a policy (policies). Hope, this is a convincing point...!!

I am not sure that policy recommendations should be limited to non- implementation or weaker implementation of a policy or policies. It should also be applied to policy implications currents and futures.

I guess the difference is in the words implication Vs recommendation. Implication is the outcome result following your analysis, while recomendation is what you proposed or your choice of outcome to follow.

Jorge Morales Pedraza Chung Tin Fah Viswanathan P K Shashi Chaudhary thank you very much for your detailed answer and clarifying the two terms. However, we usually write at the end of article either " Conclusion and Policy implications" or " Conclusion and Policy recommendations". So for empirical research ( as i am doing in economics), do you think we need and should discuss the policy implications in this case only? because i think, we can not extend policy recommendations and policy implications at same time in a research.

My understanding is that you write policy recommendations based on the findings and reflecting your conclusions while policy implications should reflect essentially on the specific recommendations resulting from your research.

Implications suggest how the findings may be important for policy, practice, theory, and subsequent research. Recommendations, on the other hand, urge specific actions to be taken with regard to policy, practice, theory, or subsequent research.

Policy implications should come first to identify each policy's implications adopted and independent of the conclusions and policy recommendations. In this place, the actions to be implemented should be included, according to the policy adopted.

In my experience, recommendation is a term that we normally use in an applied research report. In such research, your analysis is focused to a specific issue or problem. Implication is normally used in policy brief. I absolutely agree with the view of Murod Ismailov on the use of these two terms. Nonetheless, among researchers I have seen using these two terms in random ways.

technically, the clue/answer is in the definition of the two words: when something is implied, it's a conclusion made from what is written or said, whereas a recommendation is clearly stated outright. implication: the conclusion that can be drawn from something although it is not explicitly stated. recommendation:

a suggestion or proposal as to the best course of action, especially one put forward by an authoritative body.

Policy implication focuses on how the current regime can be influenced and vice versa by your findings. However,Policy recommendation is a direction stated based on your findings which serves as basis for policy decision.

I would say that policy implications refer to the policy options that can be identified after an event or development. Policy recommendations refer to the next step: ranking the options on the basis of (value) judgment.

Habeeb Adewoyin Mary-Helen Castanuela Paul van den Noord Shashi Chaudhary .......thank you very much for your valuable input .....indeed it has enhanced further my knowledge.....

Every policy has implications (positive or negative) while recommendations are limited to policies with positive implications

Yes, there is a difference: implications follow from the analyses (whether they are desirable or not) while policies are chosen based on the implications. That is, implications are positive while policy recommendations are normative!

there is a big difference. implications are implied NOT stated, they can be positive or negative and they can or not lead to policy recommendations. for eg. a negative implication would obviously not result in a recommendation, but lead to a reconsideration or action taken (NOT stated) that would avoid or counter that negative.. policy recommendation are stated out right as in 1).this should be done...... 2)tis should not ... etc. they are courses of action recommended - for those reading/using the analysis that has implications and recommendation; the implication those readers can even find themselves.

English Language Learners Definition of implication : a possible future effect or result. : something that is suggested without being said directly : something that is implied. : the fact or state of being involved in or connected to something (such as a crime) : the fact or state of being implicated in something.