How to promote your research for greater impact

Successfully communicating research findings to relevant audiences is a vital component of academic success. There are many ways of doing this but not all of them come easily to researchers more used to writing for academic journals than newspapers, policymakers, NGOs or social media platforms. This collection of resources offers practical advice on different approaches to getting your research noticed outside of academia and enhancing the impact of your work.

Three people looking at a page in a meeting

‘Explain your research as if you were speaking to a smart teenager’

For researchers to give their work a chance to have real-world impact, they need skills and tools to communicate effectively with politicians. Here, Kylie Ahern offers ways to make every engagement count

Kylie Ahern

STEM Matters

A speaker stands at a lectern with a microphone

A practical guide to better public speaking: part one

Getting through long, not-so-interesting talks is a common experience in academia. But if we all agree it can be done better, how can we start delivering better presentations?

Anna Christodoulou

The University of Westminster

Medical research concept

Leveraging international collaborations to tackle global health challenges

Global health challenges such as cancer demand collective efforts that transcend national boundaries. Eli Vlaisavljevich shares how he leverages international collaborations to produce groundbreaking biomedical work

Eli Vlaisavljevich

Virginia Tech

Woman speaking in front of room

My experience of speaking in front of a select committee

Nicola Searle shares lessons for academics on speaking in front of a parliamentary select committee, to provide insight on topics linked to your research

Nicola Searle

Goldsmiths, University of London, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)

Horse-racing

Being a public scientist is not an easy choice

When scholars know their data well and can see their findings being ignored, they should be comfortable enough to speak out. Here, Paul McGreevy offers advice to those contemplating putting their heads above the parapet

Paul McGreevy

University of New England

Insight on parliamentary inquiries and lobbying

Parliamentary inquiries and lobbying explained

Martin Smith offers an overview of parliamentary inquiries and lobbying for academics, looking at who is involved, how effective it can be and what results it can offer beyond direct policy change

Martin Smith

Goldsmiths, University of London, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)

Image of the red curtains opening at the start of a theatre performance

What’s the story? Creative ways to communicate your research

Early in your academic research, you should ask how you can creatively communicate it to a wide audience. The results may surprise you, says Steven Beschloss

Steven Beschloss

Arizona State University

An image of Westminster across the River Thames

Five things I learned from my trip to Parliament as an early career researcher

After getting a chance to present her PhD and postdoctoral research to politicians in Westminster, Lucy Eddy shares her five key takeaways

Lucy Eddy

University of Bradford

Group high five

Does the UK need an observatory for university engagement with policymakers?

Any such project would need to guard against numerous pitfalls, but the benefits in terms of bringing together various initiatives and engendering new skills could be great

Jonathan Breckon , Sarah Chaytor , Kayleigh Renberg-Fawcett

Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE), Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN), UCL

Image of a grand government building

Writing and presenting reports for government: five dos and five don’ts

A guide for academics on the dos and don’ts of writing and presenting research reports designed to inform policymakers

Naresh Pandit

The University of East Anglia, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)

A family embarking on a journey

When refuge isn’t safe: uncovering real-life stories to shape policy

Human stories that feed into research can be a powerful tool for driving policy change but need careful and sensitive handling, as Lizzie Kirsch explains

Lizzie Kirsch

University of Birmingham, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)

Five steps for engaging policymakers with research

Five steps for engaging policymakers with research

Five pointers to help researchers get policymakers interested in their work, based on a guide co-created by government and academics from the University of Leeds

Ben Walmsley

University of Leeds, Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)

Knocking down the house of policy impact in higher education

It’s high time we rethought policy impact

The frameworks currently in use for rewarding policy impact are peppered with problems and pitfalls – here’s how to fix them, says Christina Boswell

Christina Boswell

The University of Edinburgh

Researchers magnifiying their work to represent advice on increasing the impact of your work

Amplifying research: five features of successful impact generation

As UK universities await the results of REF2021 and a new cycle of impact generation starts, how can academics go about amplifying the impact of their research? Charlotte Humma and Tessa Russell share tips

Charlotte Humma, Tessa Russell

University of Sussex

Young Indian woman opens a carton of books

How much should you publish?

For reputation or promotion? Book or peer-reviewed journal? Publishing is a high-stakes issue for academics. Catherine Léglu looks at scholars’ motivations to publish, where and how often

Catherine Léglu

University of Luxembourg

Advice on using your research to inform and impact policy decisions

Learning the craft of using your research to engage in policy

David Garcia explains how academics can get their research noticed by politicians in order to inform and impact policy decisions

David R. Garcia

Arizona State University

Noisy big megaphone. Speaker announcing news to target audience, science communication

Get your research out there: 7 strategies for high-impact science communication

From news angles to dealing with trolls, here are seven areas to consider when sharing your findings with the media and wider public

Christina Zdenek

The University of Queensland

Image of generic news publications

Tips for sharing your research and professional expertise with consumer media

Academics can offer insight based on research and professional experience that is applicable far beyond the scope of academic journals. Samuel Kim Kwong Kwok shares a guide to engaging with the mainstream consumer media

Samuel Kim Kwong Kwok

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

Amplifying your research paper can be achieved if you are ready to be proactive

How to be proactive when amplifying research papers

Conferences might be the first thought, but there are many options for furthering your paper’s reach – and they usually require you to take the lead

Ashleigh Johnstone

Arden University

Podcast discussing building resilience and protecting well-being among university staff and students

THE podcast: how to use social media to promote your work

Two scholars who have embraced social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, Twitch and podcasts to communicate their research explain how they got started and what works

Simon Clark, Christina Zdenek

Independent academic, The University of Queensland

Image depicting a story emerging from the pages of a book

The transformative potential of narrative writing explained

Narrative writing is one way academics can meaningfully communicate their work to the public but it can be hard to master. Steven Beschloss shares a guide to improve narrative writing skills

Steven Beschloss

Arizona State University

Man at laptop with symbols of academia, how to write a successful book proposal

Six tips for writing a successful book proposal

An interesting concept is not enough to guarantee your book will get published. In crafting a pitch, it helps to be succinct and targeted and to show an ability to deliver

Simon Clark

Independent academic

magazines, tablet and reading glasses

You’re a content producer now, part one: how to write articles for a mainstream audience

How does a scholar, trained thoroughly in academic style for academic journals, enter the wider world of general publishing?

John Weldon

Victoria University

Illustration of people around a giant typewriter with the word 'story' on paper

You’re a content producer now, part two: how to craft an article for mainstream media outlets

After you’ve decided your topic and format, it’s time to consider the details of writing the story – from mastering tone, style and point of view to all-important SEO

John Weldon

Victoria University

Social media influencer or blogger present and review recording or streaming vlog

How to start an academic YouTube channel: tips from a psychology YouTuber

YouTube is a wide-open opportunity for university teachers and researchers to share their knowledge with a broader audience, says Dennis Relojo-Howell

Dennis Relojo-Howell

The University of Edinburgh

Young woman on stage giving a presentation

10 essential tips for your next academic presentation

Using examples and practical tips, Dorsa Amir explains the techniques that ensure your presentation communicates its message effectively – from slide design to structuring your talk

Dorsa Amir

University of California, Berkeley

Image of a book to illustrate ways to get published beyond academia

How to get a book published outside academia

Lexi Stadlen shares advice on how to turn your academic research into a commercially published book and reach audiences beyond academia

Lexi Stadlen

Independent academic

A female politician gives a speech - academics must tailor their communications with politicians in order to have their research affect policy

Want your research to have an impact on policy? Know your audience

Politicians are novices by design, so tailoring your communications with them gives you the best chance of cutting through, says David R. Garcia

David R. Garcia

Arizona State University

University academics can be bad communicators - and this can be a problem when trying to engage industry

External engagement in academia: lessons from the business world

Many academics see external engagement as a chore. Others are just unable to appreciate industry perspectives. Both are stifling the contribution of universities

Kumud Wijayaratna , Ed Cottam

Northumbria University