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Tips for Communicating Research
Cindy Paquette, Kathryn Warden and Fran
Walley
"For the universities to succeed, they must maintain
the support of the Saskatchewan public... In respect of the research
function of the university, the universities will also have to
communicate more effectively what they do and why that activity
has public worth."
— Harold
MacKay, 1996 report on the revitalization of Saskatchewan universities.
"A university that is quality conscious will
be accountable to its students, its alumni and the people of
the province."
— 1998
U of S Framework for Planning, referring to the need to intensify
research
efforts
in priority areas and communicate this effectively to the
public.
- Take every opportunity to promote your research with
enthusiasm and excitement. The positive attention will
reflect well on the U of S's reputation locally and nationally,
will help to attract other researchers and top graduate
students to the university, and will remind the public
that research is a worthy investment of tax dollars.
- Tell politicians, government officials and the media
what you've done with current research funding and what
you could accomplish with more.
- Develop clear and concise ways of communicating your
research to people in other disciplines and to the interested
public. Always answer the question they will in some form
ask: "Why should I care about this?"
- Contact Research Communications, Office of the Vice-President
Research (966-2506), when:
- Your research team has made an important discovery or has
come up with a new insight into a problem that's of broad public
interest;
- Your article is about to appear in a major peer-reviewed
journal;
- You've done recent research that could influence
public debate on a topic of current public interest
locally or nationally;
- Your department creates a new chair or professorship;
- You are about to receive a major research award,
grant, or honor;
- Your research partner (company, community agency)
approaches you about doing a news release.
- Ensure that the "public summary" section of
your research application is readily accessible to a lay
audience. It should be written clearly and in plain language
that is free of jargon or acronyms.
- Consult with Research Communications if you are dealing
with the media on a sensitive research issue.
- Provide Research Communications with at least a week's
notice on a potential news item that may require a news
release or a news conference.
- Be an ambassador for U of S research with neighbors,
friends, etc. Offer to speak to your child's class, adjudicate
at science fairs, speak to a service club luncheon, or
give a lecture at the public library.
Research Communications
with Government
When it comes to communicating research results, we
generally consider audiences such as the academic community
or members of the media, but often forget an important
group — those that fund the research. As research
funding becomes tighter and government offices more
reluctant to fund anything that isn't directly related
to economic development, it is increasingly important
that we include government as a primary audience for
communication efforts.
As standard practice, consider sending summaries
of research findings to:
- Those who funded the research;
- Those who might potentially fund future research
in your area;
- Those government departments whose area of
responsibility may be affected by your research
and its results.
Say thanks
Write a letter to the Minister of the department
that gave the funding, saying thanks, and explaining
what the results of your research were. Even
more importantly, explain the impact — on
the university, the province, the country,
whatever is appropriate. Don't forget to copy
the letter to the government official that
you worked with in applying for the funding.
You can also copy this same letter to the Minister(s)
whose department(s) relate to your area of
research.
Include officials in your presentations
Will you be presenting your findings in some
sort of public or internal forum? Send a
personal invitation to the officials you've
been working with. They may not attend, but
they will appreciate having been thought
of and it will serve to remind them of your
activities in a positive fashion.
You don't have to limit your invitations
to those government officials you've worked
with, either. If your area of research relates
to a specific department's priorities or
activities, don't hesitate to extend an invitation
there as well.
Use the Office of Communications
Notify the communications office so we
can use your news in our government relations
programs.
The Office of Communications (966-6607) can also be
used as a resource for your own government relations
activities. We will provide names and contact information,
as well as advice on who you should direct your efforts
towards.
Tips for Communicating
with Government
Keep it short
Most government leaders receive mountains of
letters, newsletters, and requests. Try to
be helpful by getting immediately to the point
and stopping.
Keep it simple
Similarly to communicating with media, it is
important to remember your audience and their
level of familiarity with your subject matter.
Don't speak down to them, but make sure your
communication comes in forms that are easily
understood by the layperson.
Keep it relevant
Write your news in terms that relate directly
to government priorities and interest.
Always include in your correspondence a
point on the impact of your work.
Provide contact information
Include a name, telephone number, and invitation
to call if the reader would like more
information and be available if they
do.
Some General Tips
for
Communicating Research
Know your audience
Professors are often accused of having
little or no appreciation for the "real
world" having spent too much
time in the "ivory towers." Unfortunately,
it is very easy to lose touch with
the language and concerns of the
real world and the accusation may
be based on more than a grain of
truth.
For example, in agriculture, as
in all sciences, measurements are
made using the metric system. Not
only is the metric system a useful
and universally accepted system
amongst scientists, it also is
one of the most effective tools
for alienating farmers. Unfortunately,
it means that research results
have to be converted from kg/ha
to lbs/acre or bu/acre if the data
are to be shared with a producer
group but it is the price to pay
if a scientist wants to communicate
effectively with the real end users.
We sometimes don't appreciate how
much we alienate people by refusing
to use their language. And if we
don't use their language, our message
is abundantly clear — we
are somehow different from them,
and we know better than they do.
What a turn off!
Don't dismiss public
concerns as being "uneducated" and
somehow less valid.
Do scientists have all the answers?
Absolutely not — but often
we give the impression that we
think we do. It is really important
not to dismiss peoples' concerns.
For example, there are a lot
of concerns about genetically
modified organisms (GMOs),
and many scientists suggest
that the solution to the problem
is educating people about GMO
issues. As a consequence, the
scientist takes on the role
of ridding the public of their
obvious ignorance. In the meantime,
the public reacts by digging
in their heels and refusing
to listen — after all,
who wants to be educated by
people who scorn them for their
ignorance. It is a clear "us" and "them" situation
and it is a recipe for failure.
As an alternative, we need
to work on approaching the
public as a member of that
same public — and demonstrate
that we share the same ideals
and beliefs (i.e., clean water,
healthy food, etc.).
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