Elevate the Debate: A Multilayered Approach to Communicating Your Research

by Jonathan Schwabish

Learn how to make data-driven research accessible to decision makers, policymakers, and the general public

Many researchers, scholars, and analysts fail to develop communication strategies that work in today's crowded landscape of content, research, and data. To be successful, modern researchersneed to share their insights with the wider audience that lies beyond academia. Elevate the Debate helps researchers of all types more effectively communicate their work in any number of areas, from traditional news outlets to the new media platforms of the digital age. After reading this book, you will be inspired and equipped to use traditional and digital media environments to your advantage. This real-world guide helps you present your data-driven research with greater clarity, coherence, and impact.

An array of practical strategies and proven techniques enables you to make your research accessible to diverse audiences, form engaging narratives, and design and implement meaningful outreach plans. Each chapter examines a specific communications strategy, such as data visualization, presentation skills, social media, blog writing, and reporter interactions. Written by expert members of the Urban Institute's Communication department, and edited by Jonathan Schwabish, a Senior Fellow at Urban, Elevate the Debate guides you on how to use the media environment to your advantage and make a difference through policy insights and policy solutions.

This valuable book teaches you how to:

Develop and apply data-driven and story-focused communication Use the "Pyramid Philosophy" of rooting accessible, engaging communications products in sophisticated research. Solve problems with your research by defining goals and recommending conclusions-based actions Identify the researchers, organizations, funders, influencers, and policymakers who are most important to your goals and precisely target their information needs Employ communication styles and strategies to get your work in the hands of people who can use it and act upon it. Elevate the Debate: A Multi-layered Approach to Communicating Your Research is a must-have resource for academic researches, policy researchers, and all analysts of data-driven research.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published February 5, 2020

Reviews

[Lore LongSoulSystem · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't the target audience. The audience is researchers who don't understand social media or how to use it to push their work.
Though, some parts I gladly appreciated. Like the reassurance that your work is valuable, HOWEVER, reporters don't have the time to understand it all. Learn to be concise and have in mind who is listening to you and their own interests. Why is your research important for those people?

[Nijole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really useful guide for anyone who wants to be a better communicator. Chapter 8 was especially helpful.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book would be more helpful for researchers who have no outreach/marketing background. As someone with lots of marketing experience, this was not as helpful as I wanted it to be.

[Dan Mantena · Rating 4 out of 5]

my rating - overall Score: 3.2/5.0
- quality of writing (3/5)
- quality of the content (5/5)
- impact on my perspective (4/5)
- personal resonance (4/5)
- rereading potential (0/5)


This book provides a framework on how to present effective presentations for target audiences to help drive decisions.

It also promotes the idea of expanding the audience for dense-academic research by creating more high-level data products (such as blog posts, tweets) to increase the research's overall impact.