Introduction

You may have an important project with the potential to influence your field — or even society at large. Yet many research teams and universities lack dedicated communication support. Does this mean your work must remain in the shadows? Not at all.

Strategic communication is now an essential part of research. Funding bodies expect it, institutions encourage it, and stakeholders beyond academia increasingly look for evidence that results are accessible and relevant. Effective dissemination maximizes the impact of research and ensures that valuable knowledge does not remain confined to publications or lab reports.

This guide outlines seven practical steps you can take to communicate your project effectively — even without a marketing department.

Step 1. Define Your Communication Goals

Communication is not an end in itself — it is a strategic tool that supports the development and relevance of your project. A clear goal allows you to articulate what you want to achieve through communication, without getting lost in details about methods or specific channels.

This is not about repeating research objectives. It is about clarifying the role communication plays in your project’s growth. For example:

• raising visibility within the academic community,

   

• building recognition for your team,

   

• highlighting methodological innovation,

   

• signaling the societal or practical significance of your findings.

   

Take action: Write down, in one sentence, what strategic function communication should serve in your project. Without this clarity, efforts risk being fragmented or less effective.

Step 2. Identify Your Key Audiences

Not everyone needs to know about your project. Effective dissemination means focusing on the people and institutions who can support it, implement results, or spread them further. Communicating to “everyone” makes your message vague and less impactful.

Audience analysis helps you understand what information matters to each group, what criteria guide their decisions, and what kind of engagement is realistic.

How to analyze audiences:

• Segmentation: group them (funders, policymakers, business partners, academic peers, media, the public).

   

• Needs and expectations: what motivates each group to pay attention?

   

• Influence: who has the strongest potential to advance your work?

   

• Interaction style: scientific collaboration, consultation, or simple information sharing.

   

Take action: For each audience group, define their main needs, assess their potential impact, and determine their strategic importance to your project’s goals.

Step 3. Define the Project’s Value — From Their Perspective

Scientific novelty alone is not always enough. Each audience asks: “Why should this matter to me?”

For business partners, the value may lie in innovation and potential applications. For policymakers, it may be evidence supporting decisions. For educators, it could be improved learning outcomes.

Task: Write down 2–3 key values of your project and phrase them in terms of audience benefit.

Example:
“Our project improves biology learning efficiency by 30% through an innovative online experiment method.” — clear, audience-focused, and outcome-driven.

Step 4. Adapt Your Language

Even the best research can go unnoticed if explained in the wrong way. Academic jargon may alienate policymakers, businesses, or the general public. Effective communication is about clarity, not oversimplification.

Why adapt?

• increases understanding,

   

• builds credibility,

   

• creates opportunities for funding, collaboration, or policy uptake.

   

Take action: Prepare audience-specific versions of your project description:

• Business: emphasize practical applications and financial benefits,

   

• Academic peers: highlight innovation and contribution to the discipline,

   

• Public: make it engaging and easy to grasp.

   

Step 5. Select the Right Channels

Different audiences respond to different forms of communication. Choosing the wrong channels can make even the most important results invisible.

Examples:

• Funders: reports, conference presentations, newsletters.

   

• Industry partners: LinkedIn, workshops, professional networks.

   

• Academic peers: journals, conferences, ResearchGate.

   

• Media & public: blogs, infographics, short videos, popular science articles.

   

Take action: For each audience group, select 2–3 channels with the best reach and impact. Decide what content is best suited for each channel and who will prepare it.

Step 6. Create Content that Demonstrates Impact

Content is what gives visibility to your research. Articles, infographics, videos, case studies — well-crafted materials capture attention and make outcomes tangible.

Take action: Plan 1–2 content pieces that highlight your project’s value. Start small, but ensure they clearly demonstrate outcomes.

Example: An infographic showing improved student learning outcomes from your experiment — ideal for schools and social media.

Step 7. Measure and Refine

Communication is a process. Without measuring results, you cannot know what works and what needs adjustment. Evaluation helps refine channels, messages, and formats.

Take action: Write down key performance indicators (KPIs) and set a review schedule.
Examples: website visits, downloads, policy references, new collaborations, participant sign-ups.

Conclusion: Why Communication Matters Strategically

Disseminating a scientific project is not about repeating research objectives. It is about demonstrating relevance, building recognition, and creating opportunities for collaboration and application.

Effective communication helps to:

• maximize the academic and societal impact of your research,

   

• facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration,

   

• increase the chances of securing funding and institutional support,

   

• strengthen the reputation of your team and institution.

   

In today’s research environment, visibility is part of impact. Communication is not an add-on — it is a core element of successful science.