3 Practical Ways Academic Societies Can Elevate Field Research
Academic societies are in a unique position. Academic societies and disciplines are the connective tissue for a research field, connecting individual researchers, institutions, and the broader world. The primary role of an academic societies is to organize conferences and publish journals, amongst other things. These learned societies range all across the board, varying from generic […]
A Scholar’s Guide to Sharing Published Research for Bigger Impact
Congratulations! You just got the acceptance email. After months—maybe years—of revisions, rounds with Reviewer 2, and countless edits, you’ve made it. The peer review gauntlet is behind you, and your research is officially published. The hard work is done, right? Not quite. 🫣 Push aside the publication fatigue for just a little while longer. This […]
What National Parks Teach Us About Science Communication
When I stumbled across a new study about science communication in national parks, I was shook! Two worlds I care about suddenly collided. For starters, science and research communication is my jam! I have also visited roughly 16 national parks (and counting!). So, I was intrigued by Davis et al.’s (2025) study on interpretive signage […]
Effective Research Communication Strategies: 3 Common Mistakes Scholars Makes (And How to Fix Them)
A lot of advice about general research communication strategies is backwards. We’re told to “make research accessible to everyone” and “communicate after you publish.” But the researchers I see having real impact? They’re doing something completely different. They’re being strategic about who they’re talking to and when they start the conversation. If you’re a researcher […]
How to Explain Your Research: From Blank Stares to “That’s Amazing!”
Here is a scenario many researchers dread: you’ve just explained your research to someone and you’re met with a blank stare followed by “Interesting… but what does that mean?” That moment highlights one of the biggest challenges facing academics today—learning how to explain your research in a way that resonates with your audience. And after […]
The Ultimate Guide to AI Prompts for Researchers and Research Communication
When I first started exploring AI prompts for researchers back in 2023, I had no idea how quickly it would transform the way I work. Since then, AI has become an indispensable thought partner in nearly all aspects of my research and communication efforts. Today, I rely on AI to develop media pitches, update bios […]
A New Era of Community Engagement in Higher Education
Town and gown. The Ivory Tower. These are just a few well-known descriptors for universities and their relationship to “the community.” And who/what is the community? Well, in the simplest of terms, the community is everyone on the outside. Hence the Ivory Tower metaphor. So what does this mean for research and community engagement in […]
How to Share Academic Research with Industry: A Results-Driven Case Study
As a researcher, you know the challenge: You’ve just published some really important research and insights that could transform industry practices. But getting that research into the hands of decision-makers in a way that works for them feels like an insurmountable task. The question of how to share academic research with industry is one for […]
How to Share Research Findings: 5 Steps to Turn Goals into Action
Researchers often know they want to share their findings beyond academia, but figuring out how to share research findings effectively can feel overwhelming. Should you write policy briefs? Create implementation guides? Start a newsletter? Host workshops? The options seem endless, and many researchers find themselves stuck between having goals and taking action. Here are some […]
Want Better Research Impact? Stop Thinking About “The General Public”
I recently revisited a blog post I wrote in early 2023 on public scholarship and reflected on how much I’ve learned since then. Through deeper reading, conversations with science communications theorists, and my own practice, I’ve evolved in how I think about research communication. To start, I’ve shifted from exclusively using the term public scholarship […]
