From “What if someone asks me over coffee what my research is about?” to publishing posts, papers, or conference proceedings, and communicating with stakeholders and municipalities — communicating own research is a broad field. This breadth was explicitly highlighted and differentiated at the Research Communication Day. Fifty Doctoral Researchers from all faculties at Ruhr Universität Bochum accepted the invitation of the Research School to attend the event at BlueSquare in Bochum’s city center.
How, why, and for whom do I communicate my research? What are the key factors for successful science communication, and what challenges do I face as a researcher? These were the central questions of the Research Communication Day, addressed by five experienced researchers from a wide range of disciplines: Anna-Kira Hippert, doctoral researcher in religious studies at CERES with nearly 16,000 Instagram followers; Prof. Dr. Merita Tafili, Professor for Computational Geotechnics; Sven-Daniel Gettys from the podcast “about:stories”; Dr. Vanessa Reinhart from the Department of Geography; and Dr. Valentina Nachtigall, Education. In discussions and Q&A sessions, the experts shared their experiences, explained strategies, and discussed key learnings.
Moderated by Dr. Ursula Justus from the Research School, the discussion also explored which aspects of one’s research are worth communicating. “Focus on the topics where you want feedback,” said Dr. Valentina Nachtigall. “Bring open questions to a short presentation and ask others for their opinions. Feedback is important—don’t take it personally.” Writing, she argued, is a form of thinking. It is worthwhile to communicate even parts of one’s research, incorporate feedback, and refine ideas accordingly. Uncertainties, too, can be communicated—they are part of the research process.
Efficiency was another topic. Instead of attending several smaller conferences, she shared her experience to focus on one major conference. “Concentrate on what has impact and publish in the conference proceedings.” Prof. Dr. Merita Tafili added: “Go where you can find potential collaborators. You need to build connections to become relevant and to gain visibility.”
The diverse audience also showed strong interest in the relevance of science communication. Is it merely an add-on to core research work? Is the effort worthwhile? Prof. Dr. Merita Tafili took a clear stance: “It is part of our responsibility to be visible both to the public and within the research community.” This also involves reflecting on self-presentation and vocabulary—not only to make one’s research understandable to non-experts. “You define the vocabulary by which you want to be described,” Tafili emphasized. Sven-Daniel Gettys added, with regard to interdisciplinary collaboration and communication with external stakeholders: “No one in academia teaches you how to avoid ‘expert language.’ These are skills you cannot start practicing early enough. Communicate your research as simply as possible—and as complex as necessary.” This process often leads researchers to rethink and better understand their own work, always keeping in mind the target audience and their potential expectations and questions. This also applies to academic papers: “Make it a good read,” said Dr. Vanessa Reinhart. “Tailor your storyline to the goals of your target journal.”
Social media was also discussed. How do you get started? What should you share? How do you deal with different reactions to your research? Anna-Kira Hippert, who successfully communicates topics in religious studies on Instagram under the handle “sugarkane2003,” summarized her takeaways: “Through reactions and comments, I can clearly see what is understood and what is not. This feedback helps me better understand both my research and my audience.” Social media can become part of an academic career, she added. “Make yourself visible—and approachable. That can be a major advantage, even in funding decisions.” Sven-Daniel Gettys added: “People make decisions for good reasons. And good reasons are shaped by stories. People need a narrative to share something with others—don’t miss that opportunity. Let your research have an impact.”
A joint lunch concluded the discussion-rich morning at the Research Communication Day. Afterwards, participants had the opportunity to present their research to one another in interdisciplinary small groups and in a brief Post-it session. Participation in the Research Communication Day counts toward the Research School Certificate. The event takes place annually with different speakers.
Text & photos: Raphaela Schade