Report R5.4 Communicating Research Sunil K. Mohanty, University of St. Thomas, USA Skmohanty[at]stthomas.edu The seminar focused on the challenges faced by a researcher while communicating one’s research results to the external world. Communication per se is complex and has been a subject of research interest. The complexity further increases when it comes to communicating research. A researcher is involved in activities such as creating new concepts, developing new models, formulating mathematical equations, and so forth; communicating all these to the reader in an effective way is a challenge. Writing a research article, speaking at a conference, and conducting a seminar are some of the modes of communication used by researchers. The beneficiaries of the information include professionals from academics and industry. While academicians may use this information to carry out further research and or enhance teaching contents, professionals working in industry may use this information to improve their processes and systems. The most common mode of communicating research is through publication of research articles. In the academic world, publication of high-quality research articles is crucial to advancing one’s career. The quality of a research article is usually gauged by the number of times it has been cited by others. A research article is used by fellow researchers, academicians, experts, and professionals from diverse backgrounds. The writing style ought to match the expectations of the intended readers. One’s writing style usually develops with experience, as one learns the style predominant in one’s field and gradually tries to goes beyond it to establish a unique style of one’s own. However, at a more basic level, one needs to develop the skill to write clear and error-free sentences. Too many grammatical errors, incoherent sentences, and typographical errors can annoy the reader, thus becoming a barrier to effective communication. Different writing standards have been developed to suit the requirements of different fields. The writing standard developed by the American Psychological Association (APA) is the widely recognised standard for research writing in psychology, education, and social sciences. It is also used in many areas of management studies. Over the years, something like a general structure has evolved for research articles. It is often expected that a writer of a research article should adhere to this structure. It is a surprising development, since, in research, it is common to look beyond norms and standards. Insisting on the general structure for a research article does overlook the fact that research can be a messy process, not always following a clear and logical sequence of steps. Following the general structure blindly would mask this reality and may also act as a barrier to authentic self-expression. In certain fields that give importance to individual experiences and identities, there have been attempts to invent new genres of research writing. The new genres include dialogues, analytical narratives, auto-ethnographies, and interviews with embedded analysis. “These innovative genres have created a new intellectual and emotional writing space that has enabled writers to better connect their academic work with their personal lives” (Suchan, 2004, p. 301). “[W]riting well within these genres requires skill, craft, discipline, and creativity. Moreover, reading these writings well as an editor, reviewer, student, or field expert requires an open mind, discipline, and careful thought” (Suchan, 2004, p. 314). Presenting one’s research in a seminar or conference is quite different from writing a research article. In oral presentations, one must consider the audience, who may come from diverse backgrounds, having varying levels of expectation and understanding of the subject. Moreover there is a limited time to communicate one’s message. Researchers spend a long time studying and contemplating on specific subjects. During this process, the thinking as well as the language of the researcher can get influenced. The concepts generally used in one’s field of study become a part of the researcher’s language. This can create a difficulty in communicating with persons not familiar with those concepts. It is a challenge to speak to an audience who do not share the same background as the researcher. The objective of communicating research is to share the knowledge gained in the research process. A researcher may have to use different modes of communication. Each mode has its own requirements. Although constrained by these requirements, a research can still try to be innovative in communicating effectively. References Cochrane, J. H. (2005). Writing tips for Ph. D. students. Retrieved July 20, 2007, from http://faculty.chicagogsb.edu/john.cochrane/research/Papers/phd_paper_writing.pdf Suchan, J. (2004). Writing, authenticity, and knowledge creation: Why I write and you should too. Journal of Business Communication, 41(3), 302-315.
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