Ask an Advisor Answers

Thank you for your question, Jennifer. I'm happy to see that you're interested in disseminating data in a way that is consumable by the community. As a start, I would refer you to Chapter 6 on Communication. This section contains some important questions that could help guide your thinking like:

• Why do you want to communicate with the community?  (What’s your purpose?)
• Whom do you want to communicate it to?  (Who’s your audience?)
• What do you want to communicate?  (What’s your message?)
• How do you want to communicate it?  (What communication channels will you use?)
• Whom should you contact and what should you do in order to use those channels?  (How will you actually distribute your message?)

I would add to this a major question: "What does the community want/need to hear?". If you haven't already, I'd suggest having interactions (from informal conversations to structured interviews) with your target audience. You can develop the most clearly-written document, but if it does not meet their needs -- incorporate their language, etc -- it will not be as effective as you would like. Don't be afraid to "beta test" this with the intended audience. By trying it out, you'll understand what connects-- and what doesn't-- before you publish more widely. 

Of course, you should be mindful of literacy level and write all materials at the lowest grade level possible (there are many online tools that can assist with testing your writing level). In addition, note that research literacy must also be considered, but your report can be an opportunity to enhance those skills in partners. Infographics are great tools that help people of all research literacy levels quickly grasp data.

Best wishes on your project.