As another year draws to a close, many researchers are thinking about how to expand their research impact in the coming year. Perhaps you spent 2024 focused on publishing but are ready to engage more broadly with your work. Or maybe you experimented with social media updates but want to develop a more purposeful communication strategy. You’re in good company. Many scholars are looking to enhance how they share their research and expertise by developing their 2025 research communication goals.
The key to effectively establishing 2025 research communication goals isn’t about working harder – it’s about working smarter. Instead of focusing on tactics like tweeting more or starting a newsletter, let’s start with the impact you want to create through your research.
This post will guide you through setting meaningful 2025 research communication goals, with clear objectives to help you achieve it. We’ll focus on two essential elements:
- Your vision for impact – where do you want your research to contribute by the end of 2025?
- Your key audience(s) – who do you want to engage with your work?
With these foundations in place, the right tactics and communication channels will naturally follow. I realize there are actually a lot of steps laid out in this post, but once you sit with it, you will find it is simpler than you thought. Whether you’re new to research communication or looking to be more intentional, this approach will help you move from sporadic updates to meaningful impact.
Start with the Big Picture: Setting 2025 Research Communication Goals
A research communication goal articulates the broader impact you want your work to have. Your goal should focus on meaningful engagement and contribution, not on how many media interviews you get. An example of a 2025 research communication goal might be to influence public health policy.
Envision Your Impact
Begin by considering the overall purpose of your research and your communication efforts. Think about what you want to achieve in the long run with your research communication, beyond the research and beyond 2025. This also includes how your 2025 research communication goals can serve your long-term career goals.
This also involves considering the impact you want to have, and how you want your work to be used and known. For example, you might want to influence policy, encourage certain behaviors, or inspire future scientists.
Take time to reflect on these questions:
- What meaningful conversations or debates do you want your research to inform in 2025?
- Are there sectors or communities already engaged in conversations around your research topic?
- What type of impact interests you most – policy discussions, industry innovation, public discourse, practitioner approaches?
- How does this align with your broader career aspirations and expertise?
For example, a sociologist studying workplace equity might aim to engage with human resources professionals and diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioners to inform evidence-based workplace policies. A historian researching local environmental changes might set a goal to build partnerships with community organizations to connect historical patterns with current conservation efforts.
Setting your goal(s) up front will guide the rest of the process and allow for tactics to intersect naturally with your goals and audience(s).
Identify Your Key Audiences
With your 2025 research communication goals in mind, it’s time to identify and understand your key audiences. While you might want to reach everyone, focusing on 1-2 specific audiences will make your communication efforts more effective and manageable.
Start by considering:
- Who makes decisions related to your research area?
- Which practitioners could apply your research insights?
- What communities are most engaged with or affected by this topic?
- Who is already having conversations about your research area?
- Which potential collaborators could help extend your research impact?
Keep in mind that the general public is too broad to be useful. Instead of trying to reach everyone, think about specific groups who would find value in engaging with your work. For example, rather than targeting education professionals, you might focus on high school science teachers in urban districts or curriculum developers for environmental education.
Understand Your Audiences and How They Consume Media
Once you’ve identified potential audiences in your 2025 research communication goals, consider:
- What motivates them to engage with research?
- What challenges or questions do they face in their work?
- Where do they currently get their information?
- How do they prefer to consume and discuss new ideas?
- What barriers might exist between your research and their engagement with it?
Different audiences engage through different channels. Before deciding on communication tactics for your 2025 research communication goals, research where your target audience already spends their time:
- Do they attend specific conferences or professional events?
- Are they active in particular online communities or social media platforms?
- Do they rely on certain publications or news sources?
- Are they more likely to engage through in-person workshops or digital content?
- Do they prefer quick updates or in-depth analysis?
For Example…
Imagine a public health researcher studying HPV vaccine uptake who wants to reach teens and young adults. Understanding this audience reveals that they:
- Primarily consume information through TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube
- Trust peer voices and authentic content over traditional authority figures
- Are unlikely to read newspaper articles or health bulletins
- Respond to brief, visual content that speaks to their daily lives
- Often make health decisions based on social media discussions
Related Post: 8 Creative Content Ideas for Research Communication on Instagram and TikTok
This audience understanding will help shape your communication approach and the specific channels you choose. Effective research communication is about meaningful engagement with the right audience, not the largest audience.
Setting an effective research communication goal requires careful consideration of your desired impact, audience, and approach. By first envisioning the change you want to create, and deeply understanding who needs to be part of that change, you build a strong foundation for your 2025 research communication efforts. This intentional approach helps ensure that when you do choose specific tactics and channels, they’ll meaningfully contribute to your broader research impact rather than just adding to the noise.
Making Your Goal Manageable
Even the most well-conceived 2025 research communication goals can feel overwhelming without a clear action plan. Here is how you can turn your goal into manageable steps and measurable objectives.
Setting Clear Objectives for Your 2025 Research Communication Goals
Objectives are specific, measurable steps that help you achieve your broader goal. While your goal describes the impact you want to have, objectives detail how you’ll get there.
For example, if your goal is to establish yourself as a trusted expert voice in urban sustainability, your objectives might include:
- Develop relationships with 3 key journalists covering urban development by June 2025
- Create and publish 6 accessible analysis pieces about your research findings
- Participate in at least 4 industry panels or conferences
- Build a curated resource collection for city planners based on your research
Related Post: Beyond the Media Pitch: Strategies for Researchers to Gain Media Exposure
Creating Realistic Timelines
Success for your 2025 research communication goals can come from consistent, small actions. Consider:
- What can you realistically commit to on a weekly or monthly basis?
- Which activities align naturally with your existing workflow?
- What support or resources do you need to maintain momentum?
Building on Your Strengths
Effective research communication shouldn’t feel like a complete departure from your comfort zone. Think about:
- What communication methods do you naturally enjoy?
- Which of your existing skills could transfer to research communication and public engagement?
- Where have you had success in the past?
- What unique perspective or approach can you bring?
If certain communication channels make you uncomfortable (like social media), it’s okay to focus elsewhere. A sustainable communication strategy plays to your strengths while gradually expanding your capabilities.
And do not feel pressured to launch everything at once. The goal is to create sustainable momentum, not overnight transformation. By breaking down your goal into manageable pieces and starting with what’s feasible, you set yourself up for long-term success in research communication. Choose one objective to focus on first, see if it works, and adjust your approach if needed. Celebrate small wins and learning opportunities along the way.
Measuring Your Goal
Effective measurement is more than counting citations or views, especially as you seek broader research impact.
Align Measurements with Objectives
Your measurement approach should naturally flow from your objectives. Here is an example of what this alignment looks like in practice:
Goal
Become a trusted voice in education policy discussions
Objectives and Measurements
- Build relationships with policymakers
- Number of policy briefings delivered
- Invitations to provide expert testimony
- Requests for research insights from policy staff
- Contribute to public discourse
- Media references and interview requests
- Speaking invitations
- Newsletter engagement metrics
- Share research insights with practitioners
- Workshop attendance and feedback
- Resource downloads
- Follow-up inquiries
Regular Review and Adjustment
As you work toward your 2025 research communication goals, schedule quarterly check-ins to assess your progress:
- What’s working well?
- Where are you seeing unexpected opportunities?
- What needs adjustment?
- Are you reaching the right audiences?
- How might you need to adapt your approach?
Research impact often develops gradually and in unexpected ways. So don’t let measurement overshadow the core goal of meaningful engagement with your research. Focus on building sustainable practices that create genuine connections with your audiences. Doing something small every week to meet your objectives and goals will add up in the long run.
Conclusion
Setting your 2025 research communication goals isn’t about adding another task to your already full plate – it’s about being more intentional with how you share your work and expertise. By starting with impact rather than tactics, deeply understanding your audience, and breaking your goal into manageable steps, you create a foundation for meaningful engagement that extends well beyond publication.
Effective research communication is a journey, not a destination. Start small, focus on what’s feasible, and adjust your approach as you learn what works for you and your audience. The key is to move forward with purpose rather than perfection.
Next Steps
If you want to explore strategic research communication goal setting more, schedule a free strategy session with me today. It is easier than you think 😊
