Disseminating Results to the General Public

Disseminating Results to the General Public

Most research dissemination stops at communicating findings beyond manuscripts and presentations to academic and scientific audiences. Yet disseminating research findings to the broader public is an important component in ensuring that relevant research is communicated to those who can benefit from receiving those results.

To successfully do so, one must consider: 1) who you are disseminating study findings to, and 2) how the communication will take place.

Public Summary Guidelines, Template, and Examples

A Public Summary is a succinct, easy-to-understand overview of a research study that details the study’s purpose, main findings, and impact. A Public Summary can be developed in tandem with a study’s scientific manuscript and abstract. For guidance on how to develop a Public Summary, see the Guidelines document below. A template is also available for download to adapt and use, as well as several examples.

Toolkit Resources

Dissemination

The following Dissemination Toolkits provide guidance on disseminating research findings to the general public. These can also be found here.

To access the toolkits, click on the individual toolkits below. 

Global Health focus:

Health Literacy

The following are resources on health literacy, plain language, and readability.