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• Research Dissemination
• Dissemination Plan Examples
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• Guide Background
• Does your research contain sensitive or protected data? Will you need to place conditions or restrictions on the recipient? Which parts of your research are you allowing your recipient to use for publication?
• How will you share with other academic researchers, and how will you share with any community members involved in the research?
• How will you share with other end users and stakeholders for your research?
• What does utilization of your research look like for each of these audiences? Or, what are the outcomes you want your research to produce?
• What are your shared mission or goals?
• How can you build relationships with these partners?
• What resources are available for dissemination (people, fundings, skills, etc.)?
• Face-to-face or online?
• How will you “package” your research for different audiences?
• Where and how do each of your audiences get their information?
• What potential difficulties are there in communicating with your audiences? For example, do they see you as a trusted source of information? Are there barriers to their receiving or finding your research or to their ability to utilize it?
• How will you know/measure success? Impact on researchers? Impact for community?
• What kind of indicators or assessment measures can you use?
• Is your dissemination an ongoing conversation? For how long will you continue to share information, and are you concerned about sustainability of your project outcomes?
• What actions and strategies will you take to disseminate your research?
• When and how frequently will you share your data and findings, including preliminary findings, your research process and methodology, and any lessons learned? When is it most valuable for each of your audiences to receive your research findings?
• Who is responsible for each step in your plan?
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• Last Updated: Nov 20, 2023 11:33 AM
• URL: https://guides.library.vcu.edu/dissemination

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How to disseminate your research

Published: 01 January 2019

Version: Version 1.0 - January 2019

This guide is for researchers who are applying for funding or have research in progress. It is designed to help you to plan your dissemination and give your research every chance of being utilised.

What does NIHR mean by dissemination?

Effective dissemination is simply about getting the findings of your research to the people who can make use of them, to maximise the benefit of the research without delay.

Research is of no use unless it gets to the people who need to use it

Professor Chris Whitty, Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health

Principles of good dissemination

Stakeholder engagement: Work out who your primary audience is; engage with them early and keep in touch throughout the project, ideally involving them from the planning of the study to the dissemination of findings. This should create ‘pull’ for your research i.e. a waiting audience for your outputs. You may also have secondary audiences and others who emerge during the study, to consider and engage.

Format: Produce targeted outputs that are in an appropriate format for the user. Consider a range of tailored outputs for decision makers, patients, researchers, clinicians, and the public at national, regional, and/or local levels as appropriate. Use plain English which is accessible to all audiences.

Utilise opportunities: Build partnerships with established networks; use existing conferences and events to exchange knowledge and raise awareness of your work.

Context: Understand the service context of your research, and get influential opinion leaders on board to act as champions. Timing: Dissemination should not be limited to the end of a study. Consider whether any findings can be shared earlier

Remember to contact your funding programme for guidance on reporting outputs .

Your dissemination plan: things to consider

What do you want to achieve, for example, raise awareness and understanding, or change practice? How will you know if you are successful and made an impact? Be realistic and pragmatic. 

Identify your audience(s) so that you know who you will need to influence to maximise the uptake of your research e.g. commissioners, patients, clinicians and charities. Think who might benefit from using your findings. Understand how and where your audience looks for/receives information. Gain an insight into what motivates your audience and the barriers they may face.

Remember to feedback study findings to participants, such as patients and clinicians; they may wish to also participate in the dissemination of the research and can provide a powerful voice.

When will dissemination activity occur? Identify and plan critical time points, consider external influences, and utilise existing opportunities, such as upcoming conferences. Build momentum throughout the entire project life-cycle; for example, consider timings for sharing findings.

Think about the expertise you have in your team and whether you need additional help with dissemination. Consider whether your dissemination plan would benefit from liaising with others, for example, NIHR Communications team, your institution’s press office, PPI members. What funds will you need to deliver your planned dissemination activity? Include this in your application (or talk to your funding programme).

Partners / Influencers: think about who you will engage with to amplify your message. Involve stakeholders in research planning from an early stage to ensure that the evidence produced is grounded, relevant, accessible and useful.

Messaging: consider the main message of your research findings. How can you frame this so it will resonate with your target audience? Use the right language and focus on the possible impact of your research on their practice or daily life.

Channels: use the most effective ways to communicate your message to your target audience(s) e.g. social media, websites, conferences, traditional media, journals. Identify and connect with influencers in your audience who can champion your findings.

Coverage and frequency: how many people are you trying to reach? How often do you want to communicate with them to achieve the required impact?

Potential risks and sensitivities: be aware of the relevant current cultural and political climate. Consider how your dissemination might be perceived by different groups.

Think about what the risks are to your dissemination plan e.g. intellectual property issues. Contact your funding programme for advice.

More advice on dissemination

We want to ensure that the research we fund has the maximum benefit for patients, the public and the NHS. Generating meaningful research impact requires engaging with the right people from the very beginning of planning your research idea.

More advice from the NIHR on knowledge mobilisation and dissemination .

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Freelance Research Communications Consultant for Science and Technology | Dan Richards-Doran

Science copywriting, strategic communications and executive coaching for universities, research organisations, and industry.

Develop your research dissemination plan in seven simple steps

Plan early, cost appropriately, communicate regularly

For many scientists and innovators, getting together a research dissemination and engagement plan is a crucial part of any grant application or research project. For those writing their grant application, this section of a grant application can often be seen as a box-ticking exercise. In many cases, the usual 4Ps will dominate by default – posters, presentations, publications and press releases.

Often, it’s not until later on in the research project that the need arises for a slightly more nuanced approach to communicating the project and it’s findings. And don’t forget shiny things like videos, infographics, podcasts and public engagement training.

What is a research dissemination plan?

A research dissemination plan will help you to get the findings and outputs of your research to the citizens, professionals or policymakers who will use the information in their daily lives, to guide professional practice, or to inform policymaking.

Developing a research dissemination plan early on will support you to maximise the value and impact of your research.

Fund your dissemination activities through research income

Communicating research can be a costly endeavour. Cash-strapped University departments don’t tend to have core funds squirrelled away for outreach or research communications. Administrators may tell you that your research budget will need to take a hit, or the activity unfortunately can’t go ahead (and I’m writing from bitter experience here!).

Some researchers choose to go it alone when it comes to dissemination, while others will invest their funds wisely in specialist strategic communications support, so their outputs are delivered professionally.

Engage stakeholders throughout the project

For research with the potential to influence policy or practice, funding panels can look at whether there is scope for the project to engage with particular audiences (like policymakers, lay publics, professionals or other communities of practice) and how the project’s research dissemination plan could support that.

Investing time during the grant application stage to brainstorm a full research dissemination and engagement plan can mean that everything you really want and need to do is:

• sufficiently resourced and costed,
• planned ahead and achievable,
• and most importantly – designed to support the overall goals of the research project.

Additionally, looking for opportunities to carry out dissemination and engagement throughout the research project, rather than at the end, can provide ongoing opportunities for dialogue and feedback. This can yield rich insights about the implications of your research findings on key community groups, potentially informing how they are framed when it comes to the publication stage and the all-important press release.

Consider internal as well as external stakeholders in your plan, and look for opportunities to discuss your ongoing work with others in your department or outside of your faculty.

Seven simple steps to develop your research dissemination plan

Every research dissemination plan is specific to the project, its goals and audiences. It needs to be needs based, so don’t lead with the shiny things and plan around them – press releases, podcasts, infographics etc. Adopting a framework approach, based on the seven steps below, can help to structure discussions about what to include:

1. Objectives: What do you want to achieve?

Set out the purpose of your dissemination efforts as a series of goals or objectives. Consider whether you are trying to simply share knowledge, shift an attitude, change a behaviour, or create a community/network to engage with.

2. Audience: Who do you want to reach?

Brainstorm everyone you need to reach and engage with. This may include your head of department, research funder, policymakers and end users. Prioritise your audiences, identifying those who are key to achieving your goals. Also include anyone you may need to work with or through to reach your key target audience.

3. Situation: What is the broader context for your research?

Consider the broader context for your research, for example, what do your key audiences already think, feel and do about your topic area? Are there any social or political issues at play? This may require some research but it will help to ground your activities in reality and ensure your messaging is relevant.

4. Messaging: What will you say?

Formulate key messages that align with your objectives and communicate your research in an accessible and engaging manner. Ground your messaging in real-world relevance – what does your research mean to people? You might find you have different messages for different audiences.

5. Your overall strategy

Good strategies align directly with goals and audiences. They describe your overall approach. Let’s say you’re looking to share knowledge with a mass audience, then you might decide to opt for an approach that centres around media relations. On the other hand, if you’re looking to shift attitudes or inform policy or decision making, then invest time discussing your work with a niche audience.

6. Tactics: How will you deliver your strategy?

This action plan includes the nuts and bolts of your dissemination plan. Activities will be linked to your research project milestones with details of who will deliver what, when and how much it will cost. Crucially, getting an idea of costs at this stage means you can add this detail into your grant application so your activities are appropriately costed. And bingo, affordable!

7. Evaluate: How will you measure success?

Outline how you will measure success against each objective. Consider both the outputs of your dissemination efforts (such as a press release achieving coverage in a target publication) and the outcomes (such as a follow-up conversation with a key stakeholder about a new research collaboration). Review these throughout your research project, if something isn’t working then adapt your plan. It should be a living and flexible guide.

Planning early gives you the best possible chance of getting your wish list funded, and gives your team a roadmap for communicating and engaging with stakeholders throughout your project.

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Henriksen K, Battles JB, Marks ES, et al., editors. Advances in Patient Safety: From Research to Implementation (Volume 4: Programs, Tools, and Products). Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2005 Feb.

Advances in Patient Safety: From Research to Implementation (Volume 4: Programs, Tools, and Products).

Development of a planning tool to guide research dissemination.

Deborah Carpenter , Veronica Nieva , Tarek Albaghal , and Joann Sorra .

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Investigation in patient safety improvement is constantly yielding new research results, yet efforts to put the results into practice are inconsistent. Therefore, a pragmatic tool is needed. The Dissemination Planning Tool was developed to assist the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Patient Safety grantees with disseminating their research results. It was designed to help researchers consider major areas in dissemination: packaging research results, identifying target users, engaging connector organizations, identifying barriers, developing success measures, and allocating resources to implement the plan. Developing the tool included several stages, beginning with adapting Rogers' seminal diffusion theory. Literature was reviewed from health care, sociology, organizational development, psychology, and social sciences, thus providing a breath of dissemination theory and practices. Tools currently used in field-specific instances were reviewed. All of these sources were synthesized through a process of refinement, expert review, and testing.

• Introduction

New research results regularly provide an abundance of information to improve health care. Unfortunately, putting these results into practice often falls short of their envisioned potential. Even when research results are successfully disseminated, diffusion of the innovation occurs slowly, if at all. 1 In many cases, it sometimes takes decades to put research into practice. 2

Most grant-funding entities typically support basic research rather than intervention or implementation studies. An exception is the Agency for Healthcare Research Quality (AHRQ)—a division of the Department of Health and Human Services—which is committed to helping bridge the time gap between discovering scientific evidence and improving patient care. For example, through their Translating Research into Practice (TRIP) initiative, AHRQ aims to accelerate the impact of research on patient care to improve clinical outcomes and enhance cost effectiveness and efficiency using partnerships between researchers and health care organizations. 3 Beginning in 2001, AHRQ awarded a series of grants and contracts to stimulate research and demonstrations in patient safety and medical error reduction. These grants and contracts were collectively named the AHRQ Patient Safety Portfolio. AHRQ's Patient Safety Research Coordinating Center (AHRQ-PSRCC) provides assistance and support for the Patient Safety Portfolio in collaboration with the coordinating center's steering committee, whose members represent patient safety grantees across the portfolio. As with its TRIP initiative, AHRQ is committed to disseminating the research results from this portfolio to improve patient care practices, thus ultimately helping to make the health care system safer.

Dissemination and implementation are complex processes, involving many disciplines and players within an organization. No one approach or strategy universally applies in every situation. Researchers, therefore, need to use multiple methods and tools to navigate their dissemination course ( Figure 1 ). Members of the AHRQ-PSRCC and the steering committee developed a conceptual framework that gives context for the patient safety researchers' dissemination plans. The Framework for Knowledge Transfer of Patient Safety Research (Framework) includes three major processes: knowledge creation and distillation, mass diffusion and targeted dissemination, and organizational adaptation and use. 4 As an outgrowth of this conceptual framework, the AHRQ-PSRCC, in response to the steering committee's recommendation, developed a practical planning tool to help researchers spread actionable knowledge to potential users.

Components of a dissemination plan*. *A complete model of the Dissemination Planning Tool is available from the corresponding author

The process of implementing any research outcome begins with awareness—when potential users learn about the products, tools, or findings and gain some understanding about how they work. 5 This planning tool helps increase awareness in a systematic way by wedding the constructs of diffusion and dissemination. Diffusion is defined as a passive process by which an innovation is communicated through channels over time in a social system. 5 Dissemination involves a more active, tailored process of communication, with a goal of persuading users to adopt the innovation. 6 Alone, neither construct offers sufficient guidance for successful dissemination of research results; together, the ideas complement and support each other. Both constructs are embodied in the development of this planning tool to guide dissemination of research results.

• Purpose of the tool

The Dissemination Planning Tool was designed to help researchers create a dissemination plan that reaches beyond the traditional ways of getting the message out (e.g., peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations). Research shows that employing only traditional methods is ineffective. In a systematic review of 102 controlled trials examining the effectiveness of strategies for changing behavior, Oxman 7 found that passive approaches to sharing information, such as conference presentations, were less effective than social influencing interventions, such as having respected opinion leaders promote the innovation.

The planning tool encourages researchers to think through the dissemination process and to assemble the building blocks needed to construct a formal dissemination plan specific to their particular research and their intended users' needs and interests. Dissemination plans created by using this tool highlight ways that researchers can attain their unique project goals and reach target user audiences. The tool also helps researchers evaluate the best ways to distribute patient safety information by emphasizing the benefits of working with intermediaries and dissemination partners to amplify the reach to, and receptivity of, user communities.

The planning tool is useful at various points in the research process. One obvious time to complete it is toward the end of a research project, when findings are known or the research efforts have produced a product, tool, or program. Having the research results with associated evidence and pilot information on implementation can provide a compelling case for dissemination partners and end-users. The tool also is applicable at the early stage of the research proposal process—it can help determine user needs and dissemination partner interests. This information will refine research questions to address the users' practical questions. Using this tool will also plant the seeds of interest of both users and partners, enlisting their support throughout the project. 8, 9 Furthermore, this tool is appropriate for funding organizations that, through their grant solicitation structures, increasingly influence and guide researchers to consider and plan for dissemination as a key component of their initial research designs.

• Development and early testing

Developing the tool involved several stages, beginning with adapting Rogers' work on the theory of diffusion. 5 In particular, Rogers describes the innovation decision process in progressive stages: knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation, and confirmation. The key processes in his first two stages involve understanding the innovation, including its importance and cost benefit; and identifying key adopters, their values and culture, and how to reach them. The aim of these processes is to convince the user of the merit of the innovation. Additional research that was applied in designing the tool was Lavis' 10 organizing approach for transferring knowledge, which includes specifying the message, the target audience, the messenger, how the message should be transferred, and how to evaluate the effect. We further reviewed relevant literature from health care, sociology, organizational development, change management, psychology, and social sciences, all of which provided a wide breadth of knowledge in dissemination theory and practices.

We also searched for existing dissemination self-assessment tools for researchers in the public domain. Although much literature has been produced on the implementation of research results, a pragmatic assessment tool that prepares patient safety researchers to effectively put their results into practice has yet to be developed. In fact, with one notable exception, The Dissemination Self Assessment Inventory from The National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR), there appears to be an absence of practical dissemination planning tools for researchers. The NCDDR inventory is specifically aimed at disability researchers' dissemination efforts in the assessment of four areas: organizational structure and policies, research design, dissemination, and evaluation plans. 11

We synthesized all sources to identify key aspects of dissemination planning, and narrowed down to the current sections described later in this paper. We then developed draft questions to assess each of these key areas and invited expert reviews of the draft tool from a variety of disciplines. Reviewers included experienced health services researchers involved in patient safety research, national and international experts in dissemination research, professors involved in dissemination theory, knowledge management professionals, leaders in research dissemination organizations, and professionals who are responsible for developing and maintaining dissemination partnerships.

Based on their feedback, the tool transitioned through a series of iterations. For example, experts recommended that the questions be open-ended in order to help educate and stimulate researchers' thoughts about dissemination. This format was suggested over one featuring descriptive sentences with an agree/disagree scale of responses (a style that is frequently used in other instruments). Experts also wanted to include additional content to account for the human and financial resources needed for dissemination and to specify tactical activities and individuals responsible for achieving the activities. They also noted the importance of considering informal user networks, where, as evidence suggests, vital opportunities for dissemination exist. 12 They further encouraged highlighting the importance of linking research results to the agenda of connector organizations and recognizing the importance of timing—identifying events and issues in the partner's environment that may help or hinder their interest in the research results.

Patient safety researchers within the Patient Safety Portfolio also were recruited to complete the draft tool with their own research in mind. In line with the expert feedback, researchers also recommended adding an action planning section to help the respondent consider practical next steps to help make the plan operational.

• Description of the tool

The tool is intended to produce a working document that requires several iterations to fully complete. Changes are made as additional information emerges. While an individual such as the principal investigator may coordinate completing the tool, he or she should expect to consult with other members of the research team to fully capitalize on their knowledge and, importantly, to gain their support of the plan. The planning tool serves as a discussion structure for the team, with every member providing his or her unique perspective. Optimally, the dissemination planning team should include end users and partners to better understand their needs and, thus, the best possible methods for and approaches to “selling” the innovation.

The tool is structured into six sections: defining the research, identifying target users, working with dissemination partners, communicating the research, evaluating the success of the dissemination process, and developing an action plan. Each section builds on another to help researchers create their comprehensive plan. A construct rationale and overview for each section is briefly discussed below.

Research findings and products—what is going to be disseminated? Patient safety research efforts may yield several findings and/or tools that warrant distribution to other researchers or target users. This section helps researchers specifically identify what they want to disseminate and how to craft the value statement for the user. In traditional marketing terms, this section helps define the “product,” which is a fundamental step in the dissemination process. To define the product, the tool helps researchers consider ways to bundle or package their research. For example, if the research results include an event reporting system, the researcher could choose to disseminate it as a package, or separately disseminate the taxonomy or data analytic methods that were developed as a component of the reporting system. For each product that the researcher develops, an evaluation of its readiness for dissemination is vital. The planning tool helps researchers consider if the finding or product is ready for immediate use by assessing its track record of success in practice, the strength of scientific evidence that supports the results, and whether it conforms to established procedures. This evaluation of product-implementation readiness helps the researcher create a compelling value proposition to influence user interest.

End-users—who will apply it in practice? End-users are individuals or organizations that could benefit by applying the research results. Specifying end- users focuses the dissemination plan and targets the message. Change programs often do not work because they fail to involve formal structures and systems. 13 Understanding the behaviors of the end-users and the systems they work within is important in planning for dissemination, 14 because these user networks are a powerful milieu for sharing innovation. The Dissemination Planning Tool prompts the researcher to think about the users' (consumers') needs and values, and why the research is important to them (e.g., saves time, improves their work). User needs are often driven by external forces in the environment, such as regulatory pressures. The tool invites the researcher to think about related events that may help or hinder users' interest in their research. For example, a standard issued from the Joint Commission on Accreditation in Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) on assessing organizational leadership responsibility in creating a nonpunitive culture may prompt a hospital administrator to seek a patient safety culture-assessment instrument. The Dissemination Planning Tool also prompts the researcher to think about barriers of user implementation and how to mitigate them. Considering the end-users' needs transforms the research message from a research-centric to a user-centric one, aimed at creating a pull from the users who will want to “buy the product.” Attracting users to the product, rather than pushing it on them, will enhance the dissemination effort. 15

Dissemination partners—how can you reach the users? End-users share information in both formal and informal social networks. 5 Because who introduces an innovation can influence how rapidly an innovation is disseminated, 16 social system norms can dictate how members communicate, and ultimately affect the rate of adoption. Dissemination is not a linear effort, but is often a fluid storytelling process. Informal spread of innovation—through networking, between users, or tapping into existing networks—is a powerful means of dissemination. The tool prompts researchers to list organizations with existing networks that can influence target users through their credibility, expertise, and power of their distribution capacity. By partnering with key intermediaries or connector organizations, researchers can capitalize on the organization's reach to tailor and amplify their message to users. A key strategy in implementing innovations in organizations involves aligning the innovation with organizational goals and values. 17 As in the end-user section, this section of the tool helps researchers think about the advantages for partners to take part in disseminating the research to help answer their inevitable “What's in it for me?” question.

Communication—how do you convey the research outcomes? Effective dissemination relies on using varied channels. Bero 18 found that multifaceted interventions were consistently effective in promoting change. While many communication strategies can influence provider practice, (e.g., published and unpublished material, education, academic detailing, etc.), Borenstein 19 suggests that it also is the frequency of exposure to different strategies that most influences behavior. Furthermore, it is important to match the complexity of the research with the right medium. This section of the tool helps researchers to identify ways that users get their information and, importantly, to recognize those channels that are available through identified connector organizations, such as Web sites and newsletters. User feedback about their information-seeking behavior also can provide insight into the best ways to promote the research.

Evaluation—how do you determine what worked? While the ultimate measure of success is improved patient care, this section of the tool helps the researcher think about interim process measures of success, such as the number of physicians who request additional information following a product demonstration. Evaluating the success of the dissemination plan is an iterative process. Dissemination is not a one-time activity, but a process that involves a long-term relationship with users and partners. Continuous feedback helps researchers appraise the effectiveness of their messages, such as what method or approach worked best or which method was most cost-effective. Researchers can use the feedback to improve their dissemination plan. Moreover, a working dialogue among the researchers, partners, and users can improve how the research is applied and mitigate potential barriers, such as those categorized by TRIP grantees (behavioral, structural, process, human subjects, partner, study site, and costs). 20

Dissemination workplan—where do you start? In addition to helping develop the dissemination plan, the tool further provides a final section to begin accounting for resources, both human and financial, that will realistically make it happen. Dissemination plans often fall short in two places. First, they become an unrealistic “shopping list” of every possible or desired use for the product that can be identified, but without realistic time and resource commitments. Second, no lead person is identified who would be responsible for ensuring that the tasks planned are actually performed. 21 The dissemination work plan section helps the researcher outline both immediate and long-term next-action steps with associated timeframes and people responsible. The work plan also prompts the researcher to consider what resources are needed to implement the dissemination plan.

• Conclusion and future developments

In their review, experts confirmed the need for a planning tool. Comments included “What a good idea!” and “This tool is an important contribution; there generally appears to be an absence of practical dissemination planning tools for researchers, and it is nice to see this need addressed.” Feedback from researchers who completed the tool also was positive: “I learned a great deal completing it”; “It provides explicit and detailed thinking”; “I plan to assemble the research team to gather additional input”; and “I found myself iterating my thinking as I went through each question—a very effective developmental tool.”

Receptivity to this planning tool and the noted dearth of similar tools reinforce the need to convert dissemination theory into practical tools and techniques. This is especially true as researchers strive to bring patient safety innovations into practice. In consideration of these dynamics, we recognize the need to further develop a dissemination toolkit that would provide additional self-help aids—such as detailed workbooks, project management templates, and resource tracking grids—to further advance the adoption and practice of worthy patient safety innovations.

Researchers traditionally have not been expected to think about dissemination of research results for use in practice. With the recent and ongoing importance given by funding agencies to translating research into practice, researchers will benefit by understanding the dissemination process and its practical application. This does not suggest that researchers will become experts in dissemination, but rather that they will develop a sensitivity to the value and opportunities inherent in this process. The Dissemination Planning Tool is designed to promote awareness among researchers about where their research might and should be applied in practice. It provides a structure to think about what can appear to be a nebulous charge to which researchers are increasingly expected to respond. More importantly, it helps them recognize the importance of the research's use and practical application.

• Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the AHRQ-PSRCC Steering Committee members in developing the tool, including Nancy Donaldson, R.N., D.N.S., John Combes, M.D., and Christine Kovner, Ph.D., R.N.

• Cite this Page Carpenter D, Nieva V, Albaghal T, et al. Development of a Planning Tool to Guide Research Dissemination. In: Henriksen K, Battles JB, Marks ES, et al., editors. Advances in Patient Safety: From Research to Implementation (Volume 4: Programs, Tools, and Products). Rockville (MD): Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); 2005 Feb.
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Developing an effective knowledge dissemination plan

National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research (NCDDR). (2001). Developing an effective dissemination plan. Retrieved from http://bir.ou.edu/files/bir/docs/Dissemination_plan.pdf.

Description

The main goal of disseminating research findings at the end of a project is to use them to inform decision making and ultimately improve health outcomes. This resource outlines a series of steps to develop an effective knowledge dissemination plan. To facilitate the relevant and practical application of this knowledge, the developers of this method recommend involving potential/intended users in the planning and implementation phases of research design.

Steps for Using Method/Tool

This method introduces users to several characteristics of effective dissemination plans. The developers suggest that knowledge producers consider the following key elements as they design their knowledge dissemination plan:

• Establish goals for the dissemination project or initiative
• Articulate specific objectives required to achieve each goal
• Define the scope and characteristics of potential users/target audiences
• Determine what content/information will be disseminated (comprehension level, language, framing to meet the needs of defined user groups, etc.)
• Identify sources that potential user groups view as being credible, and consider ways to partner with these sources, such as accessing a group's network
• Determine the medium that will best deliver the content/message to potential users
• Decide how to determine the success of the dissemination activities; what measures or indicators will be used and how will these be collected and analysed as part of this evaluation?
• Describe what steps will be taken to promote ongoing access to project-related content, and consider how users will access this information in the future
• Identify strategies to inform potential users about the availability of project-related information, including accessible format(s)
• Identify potential barriers that may interfere with users' access to or application of the knowledge, and develop targeted strategies to reduce these barriers

The developers present a series of questions to consider when implementing the steps listed above. The dissemination planning process should draw on a wide range of strategies and tools, tailored to address the needs of particular groups within the target audience.

These summaries are written by the NCCMT to condense and to provide an overview of the resources listed in the Registry of Methods and Tools and to give suggestions for their use in a public health context. For more information on individual methods and tools included in the review, please consult the authors/developers of the original resources.

We have provided the resources and links as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by McMaster University of any of the products, services or opinions of the external organizations, nor have the external organizations endorsed their resources and links as provided by McMaster University. McMaster University bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external sites.

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