Research findings are impactful when they are shared with participants, either individual or communities. The intent of research is to produce knowledge that is relevant for community growth and development.
My research works and writing spans over the years of working and gaining experiences from community and researchers in different Institutions. This changed my perspectives and allowed me to begin to have a clearer and broader understanding of the complexities in the dynamic interplays taking place between research and development. I saw the need to have a full grasp of translating research into intervention before being implemented. My research discipline is in agriculture, specifically in production of quality. My research interest is community development with the use of system dynamics as a tool of analysis.
My current research is on getting research findings back to the Communities. According to Statista (2021), the total global spending on research and development (R&D) has risen astronomically in past decades reaching 2.23 trillion dollars from 1996 – 2018). However, communities in developing countries still remain underdeveloped. Research takes different forms and provides information for further development and understanding of the what shapes the society and environment. Sharing the findings from research with the people or communities will bring about maximal benefit and impact on the communities. In qualitative research, before any research takes place, efforts are made by researchers to ensure cordiality between the research team and the community. This process is vital necessary to gain the approval of the community head or chiefs for the research to be conducted. The community head or chiefs in turn, encourage members to participate in the study. But, the fact remains that most research findings are left on the book shelves or library in developing countries after completion.
The communities, who are often the subjects of the research, give consent by providing all necessary and needed information, believing that their participation in these researches will ensure direct benefit to their communities. However, after the data have been collected and analyzed, reports written, and the research study concluded, researchers feel less compelled to take the findings to the communities. Rather, they publish their findings in either local or international journals or articles, leaving the communities to speculate about outcomes of the research.
Research findings needs to be appropriately disseminated without any technical language constraint to participants or communities that participated in the study. This way, they will be informed about the findings and its implication. Doing this will not only change the thinking of the participants but also bring about reformation that will help to solve the community problems. As the world moves towards achieving sustainability, it is necessary that the 21st century researchers integrate into the planning stages of their proposals strategies and methodologies in which their research findings will be disseminated to participating individuals or communities.
I know that the opportunity given to me to attend this workshop will not only increase my confidence, passion but also help me to develop a better writing skill, that will increase my ability to broadcast research methods and output in various available outlets, including being done in onshore and offshore journals.
