Acknowledgments ix
Preface xi
Chapter 1 Why Research Needs a Big Audience 1
Now more than ever, experts need to go further to bring their evidence-based insights to decisionmakers and influencers.
Case Study: Creating a range of products to reach different audiences
Chapter 2 Developing an Audience Outreach Strategy 15
One audience may need a nuanced, thorough analysis of the data and methods; another may need the punchline; and another the most important, bottom-line numbers or facts.
Case Study: Targeting your outreach efforts to different audiences
Chapter 3 An Introduction to Visualizing Your Research 37
Be purposeful about what you include in your graphs and charts so they best serve the needs of your reader and the message you want to convey.
Case Study: Readers devour an easily digestible data visualization
Chapter 4 Better Presentations: More Effective Speaking 67
A presentation is a fundamentally different form of communication than a written report.
Case Study: Using the power of storytelling to communicate your message
Chapter 5 How to Blog about Your Findings 101
By distilling and repackaging your message, you can make that work more appealing to and digestible for broader audiences.
Case Study: Writing timely and accessible blog posts
Chapter 6 Working with the Media to Increase Your Impact 121
Make an interview more than a one-time event; use it to cultivate a relationship with the media so you can be a resource in the future.
Case Study: Quick responses to policy proposals pay off for elite media cultivation
Chapter 7 Social Media Can Build Audiences That Matter 147
Social media platforms can give you the opportunity to connect and converse with new and influential audiences around your research in ways that are both intimate and public.
Case Study: Leveraging Twitter to benefit your research
Chapter 8 Putting It All Together to Make a Difference 175
If you don't have a plan or a tangible impact in mind, then you risk your work going unnoticed by the people best positioned to act on it.
Case Study: Developing structures and processes for a robust communications team
Bibliography 195
About the Contributors 203
Index 207
N2 - "Many researchers and scholars resist the idea of developing a communication strategy, either thinking that someone else will do it, their work will be naturally discovered, or that it doesn't matter. Developing a communication strategy--and implementing that strategy--recognizes the importance of making research accessible to a wider audience, decision makers, and policymakers--even the public. Elevate the Debate will help researchers of all types more effectively communicate their work. Elevate the Debate is written in a practical voice and provides a starting roadmap for researchers and organizations interested in helping their research have a greater impact. In this book, readers will learn practical strategies and skills that will enable them to communicate their work to their desired audiences"-- ER -