Michelle J Searle, OCT, PhD

Representing and Reporting

 

 

 

Communication and reporting is a critical component in inquiry, research and evaluation. Too often, we don’t think of the communication and reporting aspects until the end when we are burdened by a timeline/deadline or nearing completion of a project.

 

Instead, this of the impact is you start with the end in mind - think of how you will represent and report from the outset! Communication can begin when you are recruiting participants – they have a right to know what you are working on and why?

Share with others your hope for the project, your questions and where appropriate, the path you are taking to answer these questions.

 

Consider maintaining the flow of information in interesting and innovative ways. When you craft a report, find ways to distinguish it – in connection with your purpose, context and audience. You may find multiple reporting formats are needed to satisfy a range of stakeholders.

 

Representation and reporting is sometimes considered knowledge mobilization (KMb), knowledge transfer (KT) or knowledge exchange (KE), theses terms are often used interchangeable. The thrust of these ideas is to make information accessible.

 

 

Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) is the moving of available knowledge (often from formal research) into active use. It involves efforts to bridge the gap between research, policy and practice in order to improve outcomes in various organizations or sectors.