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Research Translation & Knowledge Dissemination
Research translation turns findings into knowledge people can understand and act on. We help researchers, academic medical centers and associations design and test dissemination that reaches clinicians, educators, policymakers and the public.
The problem behind the problem.
Valuable research too often reaches only other researchers. Findings appear in journals behind paywalls, written for specialists, while the clinicians, teachers, community leaders and patients who could use them never encounter them or cannot interpret them. The research-to-practice gap is well documented and costly. Evidence that could improve care, learning or public policy waits years to be adopted, and public trust in science suffers when people encounter it mostly through oversimplified headlines.
We have worked on this problem from several directions. We founded a research-dissemination platform built on social technology, designed to help scientific knowledge travel beyond academic circles. We have taught data visualization and behavioral design. We have studied how audiences interpret evidence. Effective research translation requires understanding what specific audiences need, how they make decisions, which formats and messengers they trust, and how to communicate uncertainty honestly. It is a design and behavior problem, not only a writing problem.
How we deliver research translation & knowledge dissemination.
- 01Observe
Understand knowledge users
We interview the people who should benefit from the research, such as clinicians, teachers, policymakers, patients or community members, to learn how they currently find and use evidence, what decisions they face and what they trust. This defines the audience's real questions, which are often different from the questions researchers expect.
- 02Signal
Find what travels
We analyze existing dissemination data, such as downloads, citations in practice documents, media coverage and engagement across channels, to see which formats and messengers reach each audience. We also identify the key findings with the greatest practical relevance and the behaviors the research should inform.
- 03Design
Translate and visualize
We create knowledge translation products tailored to each audience: plain-language summaries, decision aids, visual explainers, data visualizations, practice briefs and toolkits. We apply clear framing, careful communication of uncertainty and accessible design for varied literacy levels, while keeping scientific accuracy intact through close collaboration with researchers.
- 04Test
Test comprehension and use
We test materials with members of each audience for comprehension, trust and intended use, and we compare formats where appropriate. Testing frequently reveals misunderstandings that experts cannot see in their own writing. Revisions continue until audiences can accurately explain the finding and what it means for their decisions.
- 05Scale
Build dissemination capacity
We help research teams and organizations build a repeatable dissemination strategy, with partner channels, trusted messengers, templates, measurement of reach and use, and training for researchers. The goal is a sustainable practice of knowledge translation that becomes part of every project rather than an afterthought at its end.
Deliverables.
What changes.
Who engages us.
We work with research centers, academic medical centers, university faculty and communications offices, foundations that fund research, medical and public health associations, and government or nonprofit agencies responsible for evidence-based guidance. Common triggers include a funder dissemination requirement, a major study nearing publication, a new practice guideline, low uptake of existing evidence, or a goal to rebuild public trust in a field.
Industries
Beyond the balance sheet.
Making scientific knowledge accessible is a public good in its own right. When research reaches practice, patients receive better care, students benefit from better teaching and policymakers decide with better evidence. Communities historically excluded from research deserve access to its findings in forms they can use. Researchers also benefit when their work has visible influence. We treat accuracy and honest uncertainty as ethical commitments, never sacrificed for reach.
Frequently asked questions.
What is knowledge translation?
Knowledge translation is the process of moving research findings into practice and public understanding through synthesis, dissemination, exchange and application. It goes beyond publishing to consider who needs the knowledge, how they make decisions and what formats, messengers and supports help them use it. Research translation is the practical work of making that happen.
How do you keep translated research accurate?
We work closely with the researchers throughout, review every claim against the source, and communicate uncertainty and limitations clearly rather than hiding them. Plain language does not mean oversimplification. Testing with audiences also checks whether readers come away with an accurate understanding, not just a positive impression. Where findings are preliminary or contested, we say so plainly and explain what that means for decisions.
Can you help meet funder dissemination requirements?
Yes. Many funders now expect dissemination and engagement plans. We help design plans that go beyond publishing, define audiences and channels, produce materials and measure reach and use. That strengthens future funding applications and demonstrates the practical value of the research. It also helps researchers describe the public value of their work to institutions and communities.
What role does data visualization play?
A significant one. Well-designed visualizations can make patterns, risks and comparisons understandable far faster than text, while poorly designed ones mislead. We apply visualization principles carefully, choose formats suited to each audience and test them for accurate interpretation, particularly when communicating risk and uncertainty to the public. Accessible visual design also helps readers with limited time or limited familiarity with statistics.
Often paired with.
Public Awareness & Education Campaigns
Ground public awareness and education campaigns in research on what people believe, then frame and test messages that change understanding and action.
ExploreEducation & Learning Design
Design courses and learning programs that change what people actually do, grounded in adult learning principles, behavioral science and real evaluation.
ExploreData Visualization & Decision Dashboards
Design dashboards and visualizations around the decisions leaders actually make, showing predictive KPIs, uncertainty and the next action clearly.
ExploreRelated insights.
Closing the Research-to-Practice Gap
Why good evidence so often fails to change real-world practice, and how knowledge translation, behavioral design and implementation science can close the research-to-practice gap.
Read
Data Visualization for Better Decisions
How perception research and design principles turn charts and dashboards into decision tools, so leaders see the signals that matter instead of drowning in metrics.
ReadReady to talk about research translation & knowledge dissemination?
Every engagement begins with a conversation. Tell us what you are facing and we will tell you, candidly, how we would approach it.
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