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.
- Public Summary Guidelines
- Public Summary Templates (Canva version) (Word version)
- Public Summary Examples 1, 2, and 3
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.
- Beyond Scientific Publication: Strategies for Disseminating Research Findings (Yale CARE) – Provides guidance on developing a dissemination plan and key strategies for dissemination; Includes a dissemination planning worksheet and examples of dissemination products.
- Dissemination of Rural Health Research: A Toolkit (Rural Health Research Gateway) – Applies more broadly to research dissemination of all clinical and translational research; Rich resource for various dissemination products with examples of each.
- Health Bucks Program Evaluation Toolkit (NYC/CDC Div. of Nutrition, Physical Activity & Obesity) – Includes brief dissemination strategy tools such as a dissemination checklist, and a few examples of dissemination products.
Global Health focus:
- Communications Handbook for Clinical Trials (US AID collaborative) – Provides guidance on creating a dissemination plan, examples, a dissemination case study, and sample letters.
- IDRC – The Knowledge Translation Toolkit – Provides exhaustive dissemination planning resources, such as helpful figures, real-world examples, and a communication strategy checklist.
- WHO Disseminating the Research Findings Workbook – Hands-on tool that provides guidance on dissemination planning and strategy resources.
Health Literacy
The following are resources on health literacy, plain language, and readability.