How do you disseminate and implement action research findings in practice?

In order to disseminate and implement action research findings in practice, aim to engage in targeted knowledge-sharing through platforms such as conferences, journals, and collaborative networks. At the same time actively work incorporating feedback and fostering practical applications.

1. Presenting findings at conferences and workshops. 2. Publishing results in relevant journals or reports. 3. Sharing findings with stakeholders through presentations or meetings. 4. Creating practical guides or toolkits based on the research. 5. Collaborating with community partners to implement recommendations. 6. Providing training or professional development based on the findings. 7. Monitoring and evaluating the implementation process for effectiveness. 8. Iteratively refining strategies based on feedback and outcomes.

A key thing that has worked for me is establishing a learning and adaptation framework into the action research. The recognition that AR serves two purposes in terms of knowledge production as well as project implementation makes it imperative to build in a framework of learning and adaptation at the beginning as this influences the outcomes of the project and research.

Sharing and using action research findings means making sure the right people know about the results and can use them. Start by planning why and how you'll share the info, who needs to know, and the best ways to tell them. Understand who you're talking to and what they need. Pick the best ways to share, like reports, talks, social media, or workshops, and then do it. Check if your efforts are working and change things if needed. Get feedback from your audience and help them use the findings in real life. Involve people early to make things smoother.

Start by creating a dissemination plan that outlines how you’ll share the research findings with stakeholders, institutions, and relevant organizations. The plan should address the following: Define the purpose of dissemination (e.g., raising awareness, informing, engaging, or promoting). Identify the different individuals, groups, and organizations interested in the project. Determine the key messages you want to convey.Choose effective ways to share the messages (e.g., reports, presentations, workshops, webinars)

Executive summaries, infographics and PowerPoint reports are popular formats that can be digested very rapidly by key audiences.

To choose the right format for disseminating results, consider the target audience, communication objectives, necessary level of detail, and context. Reports suit specialists, providing a comprehensive, in-depth view. Executive summaries are best for decision-makers. Infographics are ideal for the media, presenting complex information visually. Slide presentations or videos work well for events, allowing direct and interactive explanations. Workshops and seminars engage specific groups and promote collaboration. Practical guides help partners and implementers apply the recommendations. Social media is effective for quickly expanding reach and fostering informal discussions.

Mutual sharing, posting and promotion with partners, clients and stakeholders can facilitate dissemination and increase exposure for all involved parties.

Like most research and project implementation, stakeholder involvement is very important. Hence an inception workshop where various stakeholders are intimated about the action research is important. This will also pull in their buy during dissemination. The value of dissemination is its usage, hence, stakeholder involvement is perhaps the most important part of an action research.

It can be tricky to translate research into action plans. Part of your audience wants you to use research data to drive the recommendations while another part wants it in easily digestible bits. To address this, consider presenting every action point in three parts: 1) The simplest description of what needs to be done. 2) The "because" which explains the support in easily understood terms. 3) The supporting evidence from your research. For example: To address the shelter challenge of people experiencing homelessness, an app like hotels.com must be built to help find suitable shelter space. Without this, the resources required to find shelter are too burdensome. 100% of service professionals and homeless interviewees expressed this need.