OrientationObservationIn-depth interviewsDocument analysis and semiologyConversation and discourse analysisSecondary Data
SurveysExperimentsEthicsResearch outcomes
Conclusion
The first requirement, when completing a research project, is to prepare a final research report. The report brings together all aspects of the research process, outcomes and implications of the research. This is a process that often takes longer than anticipated because it invariably requires several iterations from initial draft to final polished and publishable report. (Section 11.2 discusses report production).
However, writing the report is often only one stage in the dissemination process. Having written it, the next step is to identify how it will be made available to the potential audience. Will the report itself be the key vehicle to present the research outcomes? If so, it needs to be written in an accessible way with the potential audience in mind.
If the report is intended for a more specialised group, then the wider dissemination might be through media articles in newspapers or magazines or on-line, through leaflets, pamphlets, or conference presentations, through learned journal articles or as a book that transforms the report for a more general readership.
The decision about dissemination is usually one taken at an early stage, especially where external funding of research is involved. The research proposal would normally identify intended dissemination strategies be they, for example, a report to the funders and a presentation at an appropriate conference.
However, the proposed outcomes at the planning stage may be only part of the final dissemination process and original plans may be modified depending on the development of the research and the nature of the eventual outcomes.
There are three broad concerns that help in identifying an appropriate dissemination strategy for a research undertaking:
what the research shows (the research outcomes (Section 11.3));
who would be interested in the outcomes (the potential audience (Section 11.4));
what is the best way to communicate the outcomes to the interested parties (research dissemination strategy (Section 11.5)).
What goes into the published outcomes depends on ethical considerations (Section 10), as well as any expectations of sponsors or funders. Although, in the last resort, researchers have to publish that with which they are comfortable.
