Refining your research

Along with a couple of dozen colleagues from campus, I was involved in a day-long workshop back in the fall on the subject of communicating research: how to accurately condense descriptions of research for public consumption. It's not inevitable that we always can, but we do try. And now, Columns reports that workshops to assist faculty on this subject will soon be repeated: 

A team of UGA faculty and staff is beginning a new program to help researchers share their knowledge with a broader audience.

The Graduate School, the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Provost's Office, the Office of Public Affairs, the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and the theatre and film studies department in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences are presenting a two-part workshop for faculty members. Its aim is to help them develop the skills necessary to better communicate their research to people outside the discipline; to policymakers; to media; to students and to general audiences.

It is a very good idea to even broach discussion of this subject - much less offer some instruction to our faculty about effectively relating their work in the media. It's a great program and faculty involved will benefit, as will our college and UGA as a whole. Thanks to our public affairs colleagues around campus for spearheading this effort.