From Geosciences over Sociology of Religion to Criminology : The range of disciplines represented by the experts on the panel at the Research Communication Day illustrated the scale on which research communication is realized by individual researchers.
The quiding question for the discussion was how communication of own research can be adapted, e.g. regarding possible audiences such as
- experts in the own field,
- interdisciplinary communities,
- non-university experts,
- the public.
The panelists contributed own case studies, practical knowledge and personal views. Many thanks for the valuable insights to Dr. Dilek A. Tepeli, Jun.-Prof. Dr. Sebastian Golla, Dr. Andreas Sieß, Dr. Maren Freudenberg, Prof. Dr. Valentin Klaus and Paula Weitz. And to all participating doctoral researchers for the willingness to present and discuss your projects in the post-it sessions.
We have collected a few suggestions and take aways from the participating researchers based on their experiences of communicating their research to non-researchers:
If your brochure looks boring, you won‘t motivate anyone to read to the last sentence.
Don’t communicate in one direction. Get some feedback from your target group, then you can improve and learn.
When it comes to research communication, quality is more important than quantity.
It‘s a challenge to find the balance between revealing too much – also about oneself – and giving enough information.
Think about your gut feeling. That tells you a lot in the end.
Translate your research into less words ans easier words. And be aware that this leaves room for interpretation.
Come to the point. Focus on one big finding. Be curageous. The risk you have to take is worthwile.
More about the Research Communication Day