Elevate the Debate

To make a difference in today’s policy ecosystem, researcher scholars must think beyond the academic journal. So too must critical thinkers recommend specific actions to be taken within their data-driven research. This book teaches researchers, scholars, and practitioners how to navigate the media and policy landscape by making their insights accessible to diverse audiences, forming a narrative, developing an outreach plan, and putting it into action. Each chapter focuses on a different communications strategy: data visualization; presentation skills; social media; blog writing; interacting with reporters; and developing a cohesive communication strategy. Elevate the Debate will help readers gain the skills and tools they need to communicate in modern, sophisticated ways.

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.

Readers will understand: 

*  Why research should influence an ecosystem of learns well beyond the academic journal. The book explores the why and how of disseminating research to a wider audience.
* Why researchers can make a difference through development of policy insights and policy solutions, seeing new communication styles and strategies demonstrated by other analysts and researchers who impact the world with their data-driven and story-focused communication efforts.
* Which policy makers and audiences matter most and how to target their information needs with precision.
* How to engage diverse audiences so they pay attention to the critical takeaways from your research, treating each audience subset as its own special challenge.
* How to problem solve with your research, by defining its goals and recommending optional courses of actions based on its conclusions.
* The “Pyramid Philosophy” of deploying different communication devices –white papers, reports, blog posts, social media, and other tactics—based on size the audience.