Communication
Communicating research
There is a growing desire to see development policy and practice informed by research and based on firm foundations of evidence. But effective research communication is challenging.
Policy makers, researchers and communities need to work together to tackle ill-health and inequity. But gaps in communication can prevent a coordinated approach.
Most problematic are the gulfs between the people who commission research, the people who conduct research, and the people who the research is meant to benefit. Effective research communication can be challenging, so why do it?
- It strengthens communication capacity among research consortium partners and key stakeholders
- It improves the networks that link researchers, policy- and decision-makers and practitioners
- It promotes dialogue and reflection on research outputs to help practitioners understand research findings in their own context and make use of what is relevant
- To repackage research findings for a range of audiences, so that evidence is made accessible and relevant to local contexts
- To strengthen knowledge management and make the existing evidence base
more accessible to promote a culture of research use
Healthlink Worldwide works with organisations to develop a communication strategy that is tailored to the needs and resources of a research programme, building on the existing initiatives and linkages of the programme’s staff and partners.
Healthlink Worldwide uses a range of tried and tested methods to strengthen communication around research. For maximum impact, all the elements of effective communication are integrated: ongoing communication and dialogue are facilitated, networking is strengthened, research is repackaged into accessible and appropriate formats, and manageable knowledge and information management processes are developed.
Strengthening communication among research partners
Facilitating dialogue among key partners in research consortia
enhances ‘joined-up’ working and draws on the existing
strengths of partners to make best use of their links and networks. Initial
inception workshops help to map existing linkages and communication initiatives
among consortium partners in order to build them into an integrated communication
strategy.
Strengthening networking and evaluating impact
Strengthening linkages between researchers, policy- and decision-makers
and practitioners raises awareness of ongoing research and informs research
agenda with the concrete challenges faced in current policy and practice.
Attention to these links is central to designing the communication strategy
for a research consortium. This means building opportunities for networking
and joint reflection into the research process to strengthen relationships
with key constituencies over time.
Tracking the impact of research through networks is a challenge that requires appropriate network evaluation methods. Beyond citations and bibliometric analysis, evaluating the impact of research includes its role in influencing changes in practice and policy.
Healthlink
Worldwide's’s Exchange programme has accumulated experience in approaches
to network evaluation and has supported innovative evaluations of a number
of networks. Although the Exchange programme has now finished, information
is available on the Exchange website.
More on the Exchange programme website
Promoting dialogue and reflection – ‘Roundtables’ and
learning forums
As part of research dissemination, forums to discuss research
with a range of stakeholders across sectors can help practitioners frame
research findings in their own context and make use of what is relevant.
This ‘putting research to use’ is a neglected part of the
traditional research equation. Such dialogue can also highlight research
gaps and priorities for the future.
‘Roundtable’ meetings for the disability Knowledge and Research programme, facilitated by Healthlink Worldwide in India, Malawi and Cambodia, discussed research findings to draw out policy implications and build support for social change and advocacy initiatives.
More on Disability Knowledge and Research Programme and the roundtables
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