The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which different types of information were instrumentally used for the formulation of policy problems and the delineation of policy solutions stated by the policymakers in charge of the Chilean secondary education reform carried out between 1995 and 2000. This is an unusual setting where the administrators responsible for the design and implementation of the reform policy had strong backgrounds in social research. This type of setting has not been explored substantively by other researchers. The data analyzed in the study were 63 pieces of information used as evidence for 53 policy claims in appropriate documents as well as feedback from participating policymakers. The study showed a high degree of instrumental use of information both for identifying problems of secondary education in Chile, as well as policies to address them. Almost every policy claim identified in the reform documents analyzed was based directly on some type of evidence. Approximately 85% of the evidence used to support claims was research based. The research implied that use of information in policymaking can be increased by planning long-term processes of policy development with a stable policymaking team, including policymakers in production of research and other information needed, strengthening national research capacity in education, and to consult a wide variety of information
