The research being conducted in this study focuses on communication of research to general audiences. Using a qualitative approach, we investigate the skills that student researchers need to effectively communicate ongoing research projects and outcomes with a range of general audiences such as high school students, lawmakers, and non-disciplinary audiences. This study is relevant for all fields because if researchers are not able to effectively communicate their work, it can have an impact on funding from state, federal and private sources. The presenters are students in a First Year Research Experience [FYRE] course, who conducted interviews with student researchers. The interviews explored the different methods used by interviewees to communicate their research to public audiences in several venues. The interviews typically concluded with the student explaining the societal significance of their research and advice for how this can be communicated.
After all the interviews had been conducted, they were transcribed and manually coded for themes. We then used these themes to construct research narratives that capture the overall experiences of our participants. Within these overarching themes, many different strategies to communicate research emerged, such as having a deep understanding of one’s research, knowing how to appropriately condense discipline-specific information, being a personable speaker, and gaining experience through practicing. A potential next step moving forward would be to use this research in creating programming that allows undergraduate and graduate student researchers at Miami to strengthen their research communication skills. This research project has been relevant for our careers moving forward as it has opened our eyes to the different ways of communicating with others and has helped us learn about ongoing research at Miami.
Authors: Evan James, Madison Michael, Alex Knauer, Erica Kruszewski
Faculty Advisor: Joyce Fernandes, Biology
Graduate Student Advisor: Ally Tamez, Educational Leadership
You must be logged in to post a comment.