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Public Engagement with Research Dr Jamie Gallagher-
Public Engagement Officer
@jamiebgall
Public Engagement
Public Engagement with research - What is it? - Why might you engage? - Who might you engage with? - How can you engage? - Have you been successful?
Public Engagement
Routes to Impact
What?
Public engagement describes the myriad of ways in which the activity and benefits of higher education and research can be shared with the public. Engagement is by definition a two-way process, involving interaction and listening, with the goal of generating mutual benefit.
Public Engagement
Knowledge Exchange
Routes to Impact
- Two way process - Any audience
- Two way process - Stake holders
What?
Public engagement tends to work with groups not already actively invested in the research whereas Knowledge Exchange works with those already invested and connected to the research topic
Public Engagement
Knowledge Exchange
Routes to Impact
What?
Sometimes areas overlap but it doesn’t make them interchangeable terms in every senario.
Public Engagement
Public Engagement
Outreach
Widening participation
Communication
Knowledge Exchange
Participant Recruitment
What?
Public engagement is a two way process around research. There are lot of interactions with external groups which have different goals. It is important to understand the forms and goals of the interaction.
Public Engagement
Why? It is important to articulate your motivations as these will help develop your aims of the interaction
Public Engagement
Why? Funders
Data
Skills
Profile Enjoyment
Impact
New Perspectives
Inspire
Understand Landscape
Challenge Misconceptions
There are many reasons why you might want to engage, articulating them is essential
Impact
Why?
Impact is a change. Engaging externally can have an impact on your own skills, your research and on the external community.
Impact
Why?
The Research Councils have identified a number of areas in which researchers can foster change.
Impact
Why?
Public Engagement featured heavily in the REF. It is possible to have Public Engagement led case studies. However engaging solely for the purpose of a case study is a risky and difficult path. At each stage do your best to maximise the potential of your research- if this results in a case study then it is a bonus
Impact is defined as ‘an effect on, change or benefit to the economy, society,
culture, public policy or services, health, the
environment or quality of life, beyond academia’.
Impact
Why?
REF definition of Impact
Public Engagement
Who? It is essential to identify a target audience. Think carefully about who you will be trying to engage with. Age, experience, background, sex, education level, work status, health, socioeconomic background etc.
The Public
Policy Makers
Industry
Academia Education
Audience
General Public
Interest groups
Who?
Don’t target Everyone at once. Think about your audience, their background and their interests. The more focuses the interaction is the better the chance that it is fit for purpose
Who?
Who is your audience? Where do they go? What do they read? Who do they interact with? Can you frame your work in a way that it aligns with their current interests or fits with their current media consumption
How?
How?
Writing
Lecture
Audio
Object
Arts
Video
Performance
Book
Online
Posters
Leaflets
Museums
Discussion
Story telling
There are many ways in which you can engage, some are in person and some are remote. You must choose a format that suits yourself, the work and the audience. There is no one-size-fits-all template for successful engagement. Look to see what methods you like.
Partners How?
Is there an internal/external partner who could help broker relations with an external group? The Glasgow based groups above all have access to large audiences, to start with could you work out a project that would be mutually beneficial to all parties?
Success Success?
You can only measure or demonstrate success but capturing information. Try to capture information that will 1) Help improve future initiatives 2) Demonstrate whether the aims of the project have been met
Capture Impact Success?
Information can be gathered in many ways. Choose one which is suitable for the information you require as well as your audience. Make sure the evaluation is a straightforward and positive experience for all participants.
Capture Impact - innovate Success?
If evaluation can be built into the initiative itself the audience may feel happier about contributing to it without feeling that they are being interrogated. Make it interesting and intuitive.
Maximising Engagement
What do you want? What do they want?
Find the middle ground
Articulate 3 or 4 aims that you have. Articulate 3 or 4 aims the audience have (why are they going to engage with you, what do they want?) Work to meet BOTH of these lists to get a mutually beneficial/rewarding experience.
Engagement process
Who?
How? Success?
Why?
Starting point
Use a stepwise approach to think logically about your engagement to ensure that it is a powerful and worthwhile experience. Each step will help inform the next try to take learning away from each interaction to make the next more useful
JUST DO IT.
Engagement process
Experience helps. Start somewhere and work your way up. Familiarise yourself with the engagement process.