Because there are literally thousands of scientific papers published on a weekly basis, it is often impossible for your study, as important as it may be, to garner the attention it may deserve. Thus, I have recently started taking matters into my own hands. In addition to writing a daily blog (link to http://www.obesitypanacea.blogspot.com/) and hosting a podcast with my lab partner Travis Saunders on which we publicize our work as it becomes published, I have also started writing articles for local papers and newsletters.
The purpose of publicizing your research via non-peer review means (blogs, newsletters, newspapers, magazines, etc.) is manifold. First, if your research involves any number of volunteers from the surrounding community, it is a nice way to officially say thanks for their participation. It may also be one of the few ways they will ever find out about the outcome of the study. Also, if your findings are relevant to the general population and not just the 3 other academics studying your esoteric topic, it is important that your findings are seen by the general population – majority of whom are not likely to read peer-reviewed scientific journals. Lastly, and maybe most importantly, writing for a lay audience forces you to funnel your message when describing your work so that it can be easily understood by people outside of your lab – this will be a tremendous help in social settings, and may finally allow your own parents to understand what the heck it is that you do.
Click here (link to http://obesitypanacea.blogspot.com/2009/02/kingston-seniors-get-fit-for-research.html) to see an article I wrote for Kingston This Week, entitled “Kingston Seniors Get Fit For Research”, which appeared in print on February 5, 2009.
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