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One of the primary goals of research is to extend its impact beyond academia, influencing global policies, enhancing patient care, and contributing to public health. To amplify this impact, authors must be able to communicate research effectively to non-academic stakeholders.

Discover the strategies researchers can employ to master the art of communicating research effectively and convey their work to diverse audiences.

Clearly define the wider applications of your research

Articulating the broader significance of your research outside your field is important for effective research communication. Though challenging, understanding how your findings transcend academia and contribute to society is essential.

Ask yourself:

• What changes could my research bring about?
• Who stands to benefit from my research?
• What recommendations can I propose for effecting change?
• What evidence supports these recommendations?

Viewing these questions from the perspective of a non-specialist can assist in conveying your message to non-academics in an easily digestible manner.

Tailor your message to different audiences

Once you’ve identified the potential impact of your research, pinpointing your target audience(s) becomes paramount for efficient communication. Whether it’s policymakers, patient representatives, practitioners, the public, or journalists, each stakeholder group requires a tailored approach based on their unique terminology and level of technical comprehension.

When tailoring your message, consider what information you need to convey to your target audience. If you can reduce the amount only to include relevant information, it will be easier for your audience to read. For example, what do policymakers need to know from your research to apply to their field?

Additionally, how you communicate this information may differ from if you were discussing it with colleagues and other specialists. Try using analogies to communicate complex ideas more simply or include real-world examples with which the reader may already be familiar.

Develop supplementary materials

In addition to their original research, authors can create supplementary materials. These include Case Reports, Research Notes, and Clinical Practice Articles, all of which can be used to support knowledge outreach. Supplementary materials offer additional opportunities to present information in an accessible, concise, and evidence-based manner.

For example, health researchers may publish an open letter about policies relevant to their research output. This allows authors to further discuss their work with a broader audience, including policymakers and non-medical specialists. For more information on other article types which may supplement your research, visit our article types page here.

Next steps: effective promotion

After writing and publishing your work, effective promotion can significantly increase the reach of your research. By sharing your work with your professional network on LinkedIn and X, you can showcase your discoveries to a broader audience. Here are a few tips to get the most out of your posts:

• Be sure to tag your colleagues. By tagging them, your post will show up to your followers and theirs!
• If your department or institution has its own social media accounts, be sure to mention them in your posts promoting your work to reach a wider audience across your institution.
• Tag your funder, as they are also likely to share any research they have been involved with, resulting in more people seeing your post.

In addition to social media promotion, you could also consider:

• Joining other academic research-sharing networks such as ResearchGate.
• Writing a blog post or press release for your institution to publish.
• Creating video or image abstracts to communicate your research visually.
• Present your findings at a conference. This allows your target audience to ask questions, too, allowing you to address any missing information which may limit their understanding of the topic.

Publish your HRB-funded research

If you’re an HRB-funded researcher, consider publishing with HRB Open Research to benefit from various advantages, including:

• Open access, open data, and open peer review.
• Over 10 different article types.
• Article-level metrics and indexation in major databases like PubMed and Scopus.

Learn more and submit your research today.