World Forum Principles of Scientific Communication Understanding difficulties

World Forum Principles of Scientific Communication Understanding difficulties to communicate research results Florent Ymele Fouelifack 1& , Marie joseph Dongmo 2, Jeanne Hortence Fouedjio 3 Higher Institute of Medical Technology of Nkolondom-Yaounde-Cameroon Regional Delegation of Basic Education of Centre Region, Yaounde-Cameroon 3 Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences of University of Yaounde I-Cameroon 1 2 &Corresponding author: Email: yfouelifack@gmail. com Tel: +237 696312354 PO Box: 31186 Yaounde -Cameroon August 2020

Outline q Obstacles to the vulgarization of research results q Adressing communication barriers in vulgarizing research results 1

Understanding difficulties to communicate research results (1) Major obstacles to the dissemination of research results in our context - Inadequate policy for vulgarization of research results * by researchers themselves or / and * by institutions to which they belong - Insufficient financial resources * low income * low budgetary allocation to research * poor resource mobilization: how to seek for funding? - Little or no national scientific conferences

Understanding difficulties to communicate research results (2) • • • Absent/low-quality Internet connection * Several research institutes have no internet * Low-income of researchers prevent them from affording Internet Poor funding of researchers to pay for publications in high impact scientific Journals Poor valorization of researchers Little use of evidence in decision making by policymakers Corruption/nepotism in the promotion of researchers in Universities

Understanding difficulties to communicate research results (3) - Delay in dissemination of results * e. g. 1 : Results of the Demographic and health survey, and the general census of the population of Cameroon, are sometimes published partially and often 2 or 3 years later * e. g. 2: It is often astonishing to note that the results of the most recent searches published on the site of research companies sometimes date from more than 10 years (no updating of websites. . . ).

Understanding difficulties to communicate research results (4) - Absent/limited intellectual independence * Cumbersome procedures imposed by hierarchy : censorship on politically incorrect/sensitive results * There also in some contexts, difficulties in making certain scientific results accepted by political decisionmakers, especially when this goes against their expectations or their political interests. This can prevent or hinder the objective exploitation of research results.

Addressing communication barriers in vulgarizing research results (1) • Messages drawn from scientific research must be designed and adapted to the target audience. • Documents for policymakers should be adapted: more streamlined, digestible, and easily exploitable • Development of partnerships with other international researchers (Canada, Europe…)

Addressing communication barriers in vulgarizing research results (2) • Develop a support and a research network Government members and senior officials are mostly nonscientists. It is therefore up to scientists to explain the meaning of their work and to present the expected results, in order to • Promote operational and applied research It is inevitable, and desirable that most of the research carried out in developing countries is applied or practical research, since the fundamental research is very expensive and cannot be immediately used.

Addressing communication barriers in vulgarizing research results (3) • Reinforce the competencies of researchers Capacity Building / training, coaching, mentoring *Although short visits are invaluable for maintaining contacts and information, on the other hand, longer internships (whatever the level) provide new knowledge and more experience. *An expanded and systematic scholarship program can achieve very significant cumulative results. • Strengthen the capacities of research institutions: internet, financial resources, partnerships • Systematize the waiving system for publication from Low income countries in all scientific Journals

Conclusion • There are many challenges in communicating research results in Cameroon as well as in other resource-limited countries • Building partnership between Northern and Southern researchers/ Institutions can help to address major bottlenecks • Research should focus on addressing the needs of the beneficiaries (population, managers, policymakers)

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