As a researcher, you want your work to have an impact and reach a wide audience. But how can you share your research findings more effectively and creatively? In this article, you will learn some tips and strategies to communicate your research to different groups and platforms, and increase your visibility and engagement.
Before you decide how to share your research findings, you need to identify who you want to reach and why. Different audiences have different needs, interests, and backgrounds, so you need to tailor your message and format accordingly. For example, if you want to share your findings with policymakers, you need to highlight the relevance and implications of your research for their goals and challenges. If you want to share your findings with the general public, you need to use simple and clear language, avoid jargon and technical terms, and use stories and examples to illustrate your points.
Define and meticulously curate your research according to your chosen topic. Identify essential keywords and delve into understanding the demographic you're targeting. This involves considering factors like the prevalent local language and the accessibility to different types of media. The aim is to present your findings in a way that ensures optimal comprehension, enabling your audience to not only grasp the information more effectively but also connect with it on a deeper level. This connection will empower them to confidently implement the insights drawn from the research into their actions and decisions.
In transforming my dissertation into a book, my editor, Rachael Lawrence at Judson Press, helped me immensely. Her message to me was that I needed to remove anything in my writing that could be a discouraging barrier to the reader or cause them difficulty in reading or understanding it. This included formalities or technical/research/scientific terminology or voice. She clarified that the goal was to connect on the most common level with the targeted readers. She helped me understand that the more personable the writing the more likely others will be interested enough to read it. An important lesson for anyone wanting their writing or speaking to connect with people and to communicate their message meaningfully.
When sharing your research findings, you can choose from a range of formats depending on your audience and purpose. Academic publications are the most formal and rigorous way to share your findings with other researchers and experts in your field. Blog posts are short and informal pieces of writing that can reach a wider audience online. Podcasts are audio recordings that offer a personal and interactive way to share your research. And infographics are visual representations of data or information that can present your research findings in an attractive and accessible way. All these formats provide different ways to communicate your research findings effectively.
Infographics, comics, animated videos, blogposts and media articles are valuable platforms to disseminate academic research. If research funding is available, it is a good idea to ringfence some early on to commission an expert to design these but other user friendly platforms like canva and wordpress can also be used.
Social media can be a powerful tool to share your research findings with a large and diverse audience, and to interact with other researchers and stakeholders. You can use platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube to promote your research outputs, such as publications, blog posts, podcasts, or infographics; share updates related to your research topic or field; engage with followers and peers; join relevant online communities; and follow hashtags, keywords, or trends that are related to your research topic. Additionally, you can ask for feedback from collaborators or influencers, participate in discussions or debates, and contribute to the online conversation.
Social media can be great but has risks including misinterpretation of research by others and identification of participants from the research data. Careful anonymization of data including removal of any participant quotes, seperation of participant demographics from their main responses, and deletion of IP addresses help reduce the latter risk.
Sharing your research findings is not a solo activity. You can collaborate with other researchers, institutions, organizations, or media outlets to increase your reach and impact. Consider co-authoring publications, blog posts, podcasts, or infographics to leverage each other's expertise, networks, and platforms. Alternatively, you can organize or join events, workshops, seminars, or conferences to present your research findings to a live or online audience. Partnering with institutions, organizations, or media outlets that have a similar or complementary mission, vision, or audience allows you to offer your research findings as a resource, a solution, or a story. Additionally, applying for grants, awards, or fellowships that support or recognize research dissemination is an excellent way to showcase your research findings to a wider and more influential audience.
Sharing your research findings is not a one-time activity; you need to monitor and evaluate the impact and effectiveness of your dissemination efforts, and adjust your strategies accordingly. To evaluate your impact, track the metrics and analytics of your online platforms, such as views, downloads, shares, likes, comments, or mentions. Additionally, collect feedback and testimonials from your audience, peers, collaborators, or partners to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your dissemination methods. Furthermore, measure the outcomes and changes that result from your dissemination activities, such as citations, collaborations, policy changes, or social benefits. Finally, reflect on your dissemination goals, challenges, and opportunities to identify the best practices and lessons learned.