The move towards evidence based practice and policy in the human services has been accompanied by an increasing recognition of the common goals and key differences between the three distinct cultures of research, policy and practice. These key differences, or cultural gaps, create barriers to using research evidence to develop practice interventions and policy decisions that could more effectively benefit children and families. This paper synthesises findings from the research utilisation literature which may help to close the cultural gaps and facilitate the use of research in child and family services.