The research being conducted in this study is an interdisciplinary project focused on the idea of communication to the public. This is all centered on the question of what skills are needed for researchers to effectively communicate their ideas with the public. The relevance of this study relates to all fields because if researchers are not able to effectively communicate their work, funding will be cut for their project, innovation will be reduced due to the lack of research, and the public will go without research that reveals aspects of this world we could have never imagined. To conduct the project, First Year Research Experience students conducted interviews with researchers in their respective disciplines. The interviews explored the different methods used by the researchers to communicate their own research to public audiences in several venues. The interviews typically concluded with the researcher talking about the challenges they have faced in the past and any advice they would give to their peers.
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, there are many different strategies to communicate research. For example, it was often found that being open to suggestions, using multiple aids/formats, and knowing one’s audience were keys to successful communication. The next steps moving forward would be either another study to find more quantitative data or to design a program to help develop communication skills within the university. This research has been relevant for our careers moving forward as it has opened our eyes to the different ways of communicating with others and let us learn about the diverse world of research.
Authors: Emily Deeds, Ryan Hocking, Ashley Kaskocsak, Kristen Vaughn, Austin Paige, and Andrew Borkosky
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Joyce Fernandes, Department of Biology
Graduate Student Advisor: Ally Tamez, Department of Educational Leadership
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