Dissemination Science 101: Tips, Tools, and Evidence to Bridge Gaps between Researchers and Communities

Although many researchers recognize the value of disseminating research findings to both academic and community audiences, few researchers are trained in dissemination science. This workshop will address this gap by introducing attendees to the principles of dissemination science; illustrating these principles through examples of collaboration between a faculty researcher and a university-based communications and marketing professional; and providing practical tools to guide attendees in applying dissemination science in their own work. The workshop will be structured in three parts.

In Part 1, a panelist who is a practitioner-scholar with expertise in dissemination and implementation science will provide an overview of core concepts of dissemination science. This will include the relationship between dissemination science and implementation science; the concept of audience segmentation; and evidence-based strategies for effectively communicating about research. The presentation will conceptualize dissemination as a bidirectional process to facilitate both research-informed practice and practice-informed research. This presentation will also convey how dissemination efforts can reflect and advance the values of equity and social and racial justice and increase collaboration between researchers and diverse communities.

In Part 2, a faculty researcher (workshop organizer/panelist) and university-based communications professional (panelist) will share examples from their work together to illustrate dissemination science in action. These examples include developing a webpage to share findings from an NIH-funded research project creating a new tool measuring recovery capital for people in recovery from alcohol problems and facilitate feedback on the tool from providers and people in recovery; creating an animated video to share the faculty researcher's work on the implications of climate change for recovery capital; and planning for dissemination in grant proposals and budgets.

In Part 3, the three panelists will provide tips and tools to help attendees begin planning for their own dissemination activities. This will include introducing attendees to a simple framework and template to provide guidance in thinking through the goals, audience, messaging, and channels for their work. It will also include tips for productive collaboration between communications professionals and researchers; guidance on evaluating dissemination-related outcomes; and key readings for understanding the foundation of dissemination science.

The workshop will end with a question-and-answer session and guided discussion. The presenters will prioritize answering questions from attendees. If time allows, the panelists will solicit examples from attendees about their dissemination goals and offer brief input on dissemination plans to illustrate how dissemination science can be used to plan for effective messaging in a variety of contexts. Collectively, the different components of this workshop will convey the critical role that evidence-informed dissemination plays in furthering the social impact of social work research and advancing social justice through authentic communication and collaboration.