Communicating your research Dr Charlotte Hanlon Addis Ababa
Communicating your research Dr Charlotte Hanlon Addis Ababa University & KCL, Io. PPN charlotte. hanlon@kcl. ac. uk
Outline �Why? �Who to? �How? Papers Presentations Other ways
Why?
Why? �Maximise impact of your work �Become famous �Develop new collaborations �The funder requires it �Your career progression requires it �Ethical obligation to participants �Because. . . otherwise why bother?
Who?
Possible stakeholders Policymakers Religious leaders NGOs Local political leaders Traditional healers Teachers Persons affected Caregivers Police
Community Advisory Board www. prime. uct. ac. za
Consultation with policy-makers
Community participants
Health workers and researchers: women’s mental health
How?
Write a scientific paper
Getting started �Make sure you get started. . . don’t dither �Turn of your phone and don’t connect to the internet �Don’t wait for inspiration, just get on with it
Writing your paper: planning 1 �First, and most important, what is the single clear question the paper asks and will answer? �See paper as a short story �Should be a line of reasoning that connects each section �Decide carefully on a title that arouses interest
Developing a good title �Effective words / terms for literature searches �Words that are not ambiguous �Statement - many journals don’t allow questions �Leave you wanting more!
Title example �Raul Andero, Scott A. Heldt, Keqiang Ye, et al �Effect of 7, 8 -Dihydroxyflavone, a Small- Molecule Trk. B Agonist, on Emotional Learning �Am J Psychiatry 2011 168: 163 -172
Title example �“Between life and death”: exploring the sociocultural context of antenatal mental distress in rural Ethiopia �Population level mental distress in Ethiopia
Writing you paper: planning 2 • Identify target journal before you write • Balance between high impact factor vs. repeated rejections – seek and take advice • Aim for open access journals (BMC, PLo. S) • Read the journal format and style
When English is not your first language �Don’t be tempted to plagiarise �Less is more – short sentences, each with one point but following on from the last �Make friends with a kindly “native English speaker”
Planning 3 �Write with colleagues with clear plan of who does what and timetable �One person leads and co-ordinates �Agree authorship before writing paper and amend later according to actual contributions �Clear aims and hypotheses �Keep it short and simple - few tables �Iterate, iterate i. e. keep revising
Submitting your paper • Prepare the covering letter carefully as it is important • Read and follow the journal ‘instructions for authors’ • Tell the editor directly what this paper offers and why it will enhance the journal
Revising �Thank the reviewers �Deal with all the reviewers’ points in detail (in cover letter and text) �Don’t be defensive or superior “As we clearly stated in the text. . . ” �If you can, bounce reviewers off one another
Getting it wrong. . . �“Sorry to get back to you again, but the reference style in the version that you resubmitted is still wrong. Would you be so kind to check it out and resend a corrected version? ” �“Thanks for the revision, you are in the right track but still you would need to follow this reference style”:
Persisting with your paper If reviews are mainly positive, appeal a rejection • But don’t appeal too often • • Resubmit: Almost all papers can be published (whether or not readable or valuable!) • Ask for advice, submit elsewhere. • Persist, persist
Presentations With thanks to Professor Norman Sartorius
Necessities �Discover what you want to say �Simplify it �Say it in the language of the talk �Ensure complementarity of visuals and orals �Present plan of talk first and last
Rules that are easy to forget �Be sincere �Tell listeners why they should listen �Try the talk out on uninterested people �Remember that every talk can be improved
Things to check �The location of the talk �The time of ending �The apparatus and the helpers �The chairman’s name �The alternatives to apparatus given
Expect the worst �Myopic participants �Large (empty) room �Small screen �Difficulty with apparatus �Strong reflections blinding you �Power cuts �People leaving during your talk
Beginning and ending: contents �Do not say how difficult it was �Apologize in the beginning, not the end �Do not be too clever �Learn first and last phrase by heart �Time the beginning, the middle and the ending: shorten in the middle if needed
Tools �Body language Eyes Hands Legs and trunk �Voice �Dress
Things to control �The pointer �Microphones �Lights �Time
What do they know? GP’s knowledge Consultant’s knowledge
The rational and the emotional Remembering Ratio Emotional/rational
Examples �Not too long �Very familiar (or with a story) �Illustrative �Personal (but not embarrassing)
Slides �Complementary, not the same as the talk �Three colours or less �Three curves of less �Legible from afar (minimum 24 font) �Comprehensible in 10 seconds, shown for 60 to 90 seconds
Can you read this? �Can you read this? �Or this? � Can your read this? �Minimum 28 font �Good contrast – if in doubt, black on white
Animating �How much does this annoy you? �How about this? �Are you still listening to me? �Are you just watching my animation? �Don’t animate your slides
Too much, too complicated �You are proud of your work �You have a lot to say, but you don’t have to say it all �In fact, if you try to say it all, nobody will remember anything you say �Especially if you use a very long sentence that you cut and pasted from your paper published in the Lancet, 10 years ago, where you were so pleased with the syntax and crafting of the writing �Or if you say “commence” when you could “begin”
The maximums �Maximum of three messages per lecture �Maximum of three points per page
A question asked �Maybe the person asking is interested in the subject �Maybe the person asking hates you �Or has his own message �Maybe the person is promoting him/herself
A question asked: do not �Say that the question is interesting �Ask the person asking to respond �Underestimate the help of your audience �Respond more than once to the same person if possible �Answer too fast or tangentially
Difficult questions �Prepare answers to questions about confidential and embarrassing matters �Learn to recognize difficult questions – eg false dichotomies, hypothetical cases, questions with several parts, personal attacks, questions about unknown facts �Take your time in dealing with easy and difficult questions
Difficult questions �Acknowledge and move on �Ask the questioner to repeat the question �Repeat the question yourself �Ask another speaker to answer �Use body language �Use a bridging technique
ABC of bridging Acknowledge Bridge Communicate Yes… but more important…key message No it’s not…let me explain…key message I don’t know that…what I do know is…key message We don’t believe that …we believe…key message No that’s not right…what is right is…key message
Presentations Post-presentation �Contacts with Chairmen Speakers Audiences �Decision on write-up
Other ways to communicate
Policy briefs �How much will a policy-maker read?
Policy brief �a short, clear, relevant document for policy makers �specific to a particular issue or topic �and particular to a specific time or opportunity �aligned with policy priorities (do your homework) �in language of your audience �seek advice from insiders �best on 1 side of paper!
http: //www. prime. uct. ac. za/research -uptake/policy-briefs
Other places to be visible �Blogs http: //www. prime. uct. ac. za/component/k 2/item/2 -where-did-the-depression-go �ORCID: https: //orcid. org/my-orcid �Google Scholar �Research. Gate: http: //www. researchgate. net/ �Radio/TV/newspapers
Conclusion �Plan the communication of your research findings from the beginning �Think about who you are targeting �Disseminate in multiple ways
Thank you charlotte. hanlon@kcl. ac. uk
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