Communicating research findings to people outside the academic community – whether in government, in business, in the voluntary sector or to the general public – is essential.
Social science researchers and the bodies that fund them constantly have to justify the public money that goes into research in terms of its outcomes and impact. And while the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is in the business of funding research of the highest quality across a broad range of topics, it is also in the business of knowledge transfer – enhancing the public’s understanding of social science and communicating that research to people who can make use of it.
One of the most effective ways of reaching your target audiences, influencing policy and practice and changing public opinion is to make use of the media in a planned way.