Communicating your Research to Non-Specialists

Communicating your research to non-specialists in a concise and engaging way is a premier skill for researchers: not everyone does it well, yet everyone has the capacity to do so. This workshop brings together some crucial factors for success, taking you on a journey from 'beige' (mediocre) communication, to talking about your research in way that engages and inspires others.

You'll audit the potential beneficiaries and real-word impact of your research, to take a broader view of the difference your research could make, in micro-and macro-perspectives. You will analyse different audiences, and experiment with adapting your language to make a greater connection with them. Tools will support you to choose which messages to include (and which to leave out) for each of your audiences. Then putting it all together, you will practice constructing an appealing and meaningful research narrative that is enticing to your audience; and to express the relevant impact of your research in accessible language.

Engaging with this workshop will enable you to:

• Identify the potential beneficiaries of your research and specify the ‘so what?’ impact

• Characterise your audiences and use accessible language to articulate complex ideas

• Prioritise your core messages to increase clarity and engage each of your audiences

• Consider the ‘story-telling’ possibilities of your research for different purposes