The Value and Importance of Disseminating Research Results

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Globally researchers often do not disseminate their research results effectively to audiences so that they can understand them and can translate them into practice. This includes researchers who use both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Failure to disseminate results well has a detrimental effect on the acquisition and uptake of new knowledge by health care practitioners and consumers. A growing body of literature focuses on disseminating evidence and translating this into practice, but often a significant gap still occurs (5~10 years) between data collection, the release of research findings, and the potential uptake in health settings. There is clear value in disseminating the results of good research. Sharing knowledge underpins an evidence base to change outdated practices, encourages other meaningful research projects, and exposes health consumers best practice environments.
Researchers have a duty of care to their participants, their profession, science, and health care, and accountability to funding bodies and the public for research funds and the dissemination of findings. If research results are not disseminated in effective ways, there is little value to the research being undertaken in the first place.
The reasons for non-dissemination or effective dissemination of results are numerous, including publishing in journals not accessible or understandable to practitioners, and not using a wide variety of strategies to spread the information. This paper discusses the value and issues in disseminating research findings; and encourages different strategies to share innovative findings with appropriate audiences to assist efforts for translation into practice to improve health outcomes.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• Aim
• The value of disseminating results
• Issues in the process of distributing findings
• Non-dissemination of findings
• Strategies for dissemination of findings
• Journal articles and brief research reports
• Targeting consumers
• Other print-based material, DVDs, audio material and videos
• Podcasting
• Press releases
• Workshops and other group presentations
• Social media
• Evidence-based guidelines for clinical practice
• Conclusion
• REFERENCES