CARE: Community Alliance for Research and Engagement

A Strong New Haven is a Healthy New Haven

Beyond Scientific Publication:

Strategies for Disseminating

Research Findings

Adapted from the Yale Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA).

CARE is supported in part by the Clinical and Translational Science Award UL1 RR024139, National Center for Research Resources,
National Institutes of Health.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. HOW TO DEVELOP A DISSEMINATION PLAN 1

II. GENERAL WRITING GUIDELINES 2

III. STRATEGIES FOR DISSEMINATION PLAN 3

MEDIA COVERAGE 3

PRESS RELEASE 4

RESEARCH SUMMARY DOCUMENT 4

FLYERS, POSTERS, BROCHURES AND RESEARCH BRIEFS 5

POLICY BRIEFS 5

STUDY NEWSLETTERS 5

COMMUNITY AGENCY PUBLICATIONS AND WEBSITES AND LIST-SERVES 6

LOCAL EVENTS, SEMINARS, CONFERENCES, COMMUNITY MEETINGS 6

LETTER OF THANKS TO STUDY PARTICIPANTS 6

IV. STRATEGIES FOR DISSEMINATION CHECKLIST 7

V. SAMPLE DISSEMINATION DOCUMENTS 10

DISSEMINATION PLANNING FORM 11

AUTHOR BRIEFING FORM FOR WRITING A PRESS RELEASE 13

PRESS RELEASE TEMPLATE 14

RESEARCH BRIEF SAMPLE 15

NEWSLETTER SAMPLE 17

THANK YOU LETTER SAMPLE 19

 Strategies for Disseminating
Research Findings

Document Description
Important Note
A community research partnership is ideally part of a larger collaboration
that includes the interests of each partner and spans a wide range of The first priority in any
activities. Often a neglected afterthought in busy research schedules, the dissemination plan
is returning results
dissemination of key findings upon project completion is a crucial step
to study participants.
in community-based research. In fact, we believe that researchers have
Dissemination to any
an ethical obligation to ensure that research findings are disseminated
other stakeholder group
to research participants, as well as other individuals and institutions in
must take place following
the communities in which we work. In an effort to increase ease and this first step. Therefore,
efficiency, this document provides key strategies for dissemination, investigators should pay
including practical advice and specific templates you can adapt for your particular attention to
use. Through this strategic dissemination approach, CARE intends to dissemination methods
distribute salient findings to affected communities, participant agencies, listed on p. 3 under
health departments, researchers, policy makers, and health advocacy Section III “Strategies for
groups. We hope this will help you to do the same. Dissemination Plan”.

I. HOW TO DEVELOP A DISSEMINATION PLAN

To be most effective, dissemination strategies must be incorporated into the earliest planning stages of a
research study. In fact, the most successful dissemination processes are typically designed prior to the start of
a project.

In creating a dissemination plan, researchers should consider several key questions:

• Goal: What are the goals and objectives of the dissemination effort? What impact do you hope to have?
• Audience: Who is affected most by this research? Who would be interested in learning about the study
findings? Is this of interest to a broader community?
• Medium: What is the most effective way to reach each audience? What resources does each group
typically access?
• Execution: When should each aspect of the dissemination plan occur (e.g. at which points during the
study and afterwards)? Who will be responsible for dissemination activities?

When answering these questions, researchers should keep in mind some of the key
characteristics of effective dissemination plans, listed on the following page.

 NIDRR. Developing an Effective Dissemination Plan. January 2001. http://www.ncddr.org/du/products/dissplan.html


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 Strategies for Disseminating
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Key Characteristics of an Effective Dissemination Plan

For individualized
1. Orient toward the needs of the audience, using appropriate language guidance in developing
and information levels. a dissemination plan,
utilize the “Dissemination
2. Include various dissemination methods: written text including
Planning Form” on page
illustrations, graphs and figures; electronic and web-based tools; 11. CARE staff is also
and oral presentations at community meetings and scientific available to provide
conferences. assistance. Please contact
CARE@yale.edu
3. Leverage existing resources, relationships, and networks fully.

Further information on this topic may be found in Developing an Effective Dissemination Plan, www.ncddr.org/
du/products/dissplan. In addition, links to numerous resources on dissemination may be found at:
www.researchutilization.org/matrix/resources/index.html

II. GENERAL WRITING GUIDELINES

Writing documents for dissemination into the community is much different than writing a research grant or
an article for publication in a scientific or professional journal. Included here are guidelines to ensure your
dissemination materials are communicating effective and useful information to the community.

• Responsive: Consider your target audiences when deciding on document type.

• Concise: Make it short and to the point; be sure that information is easy to find.

• Interesting: Sort through all findings, and present just those that are new and/or compelling.

• Highlight key points: Use bulleted lists, with one finding or conclusion per bullet.

• Logical: Make sure the points progress in a logical order.

• Useful: Write clear conclusions and recommendations; if readers know what to do with the information,
they will be more likely to apply it.


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• Attractive: Spend a small portion of your budget on graphic design; attractive materials are more likely to
be read. If possible, print documents in color and distribute to important stakeholders. Alternatively, post
documents to a website and distribute the link broadly.

• Language and design tips for easy reading:

 Simple Language: Use clear and understandable language (e.g., simple words and phrases). If you
must use advanced terminology, define terms in lay language.
 Headings: Develop uniform heading formats in bold, italic, and/or underline.
 Font: Use a clear and readable font, such as Arial, Garamond, Palatino, Times New Roman, and
Tahoma.
 White Space: Leave “white space” on the page; limit the amount of text, graphics, and bullet points
to the essentials.
 Page numbers: Always include page numbers if longer than 2 sides.

Solicit community input and make the necessary modifications

Multiple perspectives and feedback always benefit your final product, by ensuring that information is correct
and easy to understand. Share initial drafts with collaborators – both your scientific and community partners.
For dissemination of results into community settings, report findings to community leaders and residents early
so that you can incorporate their feedback to improve the utility of the document.

III. STRATEGIES FOR DISSEMINATION PLAN

MEDIA COVERAGE
Yale Resource:
There are countless media resources interested in health-related stories. Media Outlet Listings
Free media coverage can be an easy way to get results out to as many
A listing of local media
people as possible. Use your local newspaper, television and radio
resources (e.g., newspapers,
outlets. Most universities, large corporations, and national organizations
magazines, radio, television
(e.g., American Heart Association) have an Office of Public Affairs or as well as websites and
Communications; work with these experts to disseminate research listserves) can be found in
findings widely through public media. a supplemental publication,
“Disseminating Research
Findings: Media Resources”
http://CIRA.MED.YALE.EDU/
RESEARCH/INDEX.ASP


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PRESS RELEASE
Yale Resource:
Press releases offer one of the most efficient and effective ways to Office of Pubic Affairs
disseminate information, particularly to the media and other organizations.
Scientists whose
Consider writing a press release for manuscripts that have been accepted manuscripts have been
for publication in the highest ranked journals, such as Nature, Science, accepted for publication
JAMA, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Manuscripts accepted in journals or who have
received large research
by other journals that describe significant results are likely to attract broad
grants are encouraged to
interest and should also be considered for media coverage. Award of a
contact Yale’s Office of
large grant or contract might also be newsworthy.
Public Affairs (OPA). It is
Timing of press releases must be carefully orchestrated. Most journals important to contact OPA
do not permit release of a manuscript’s content in advance of publication. immediately after acceptance
to a journal or notice of
Simultaneous release to media is important so that the information is
award to permit adequate
timely and newsworthy. This will increase the likelihood that a story will be
time for the preparation
written for another media outlet.
and distribution of a press
Two tools are provided here to assist you in this process: Author Briefing release. Contact OPA’s
Form (page 13) and Press Release Template (page 14). science and medicine public
affairs officers with stories
that might be appropriate for
RESEARCH SUMMARY DOCUMENT broad dissemination:

• Karen Peart
A central component of the dissemination strategy, the “research
(karen.peart@yale.edu)
summary document” clearly and concisely summarizes the key
• Bill Hathaway
conclusions from every research initiative. Whether combining several
(william.hathaway@yale.edu)
studies performed by the same investigator or a single study, the • Helen Dodson
document should be organized by topic area and include the following (helen.dodson@yale.edu)
components:
a) Key Findings: Articulate key findings using approximately 3-5 bullet
points. For a program of research, more key points may be necessary.
Each bulleted point can then guide readers to more complete information
in a subsequent paragraph or a related fact sheet.
b) Fact Sheets: For more complicated studies or if you want to provide
more detailed information to your audience, each key finding can be
expanded. Fact sheets are typically one-half to one full page, preferably
with graphical images to illustrate your point.


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FLYERS, POSTERS, BROCHURES AND RESEARCH BRIEFS

Creating flyers, posters, brochures, or research briefs about research projects and findings offer a concise and
visually-appealing way to disseminate information to broad audiences. While these formats require extensive
simplification of information due to limited space, much of the information created through the research process
includes visuals like graphs and tables, which are particularly adaptable for this format. For an example of a
research brief used to disseminate information about a childhood obesity intervention, please see the sample
on pages 15-16. Also, refer to one of CARE’s many other research briefs, available at CARE’s website: ycci.
yale.edu/outreach.

POLICY BRIEFS

Research results are often utilized to advocate for legislative and policy change at local, state, and national
levels. Advocacy groups and legislators look to current research trends and information to make decisions.
This information is often presented in the form of a policy brief and outlines the rationale for choosing a
particular policy alternative or course of action in a current policy debate. The common audience for a
policy brief is not interested in the research/analysis procedures conducted to produce the evidence, but
are interested in potential solutions based on the new evidence. Policy briefs should be just that—brief and
concise—and should focus on how new evidence has implications for a particular policy. They should be
limited to one page (front and back, if needed). For an example, please see: http://cira.med.yale.edu/research/
fact_sheets_on_idus_and_hiv_risk.pdf

STUDY NEWSLETTERS

Distributing a regular newsletter summarizing study findings is an ideal way to update study participants and
participating agencies. While such newsletters can involve a fair amount of work, the dissemination benefits
are well worth the effort. If you are conducting a longitudinal study and need to keep in contact with study
participants over time, a newsletter may be a good approach. Many community partners may also agree
to feature your research findings in their agency newsletters. For an example, please refer to the Sample
Newsletter on pages 17-18.


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COMMUNITY AGENCY PUBLICATIONS AND WEBSITES AND

LIST-SERVES Yale Resource: Office of
Institutional Planning
Most community agencies have websites and/or distribute newsletters
The School of
and other documents to the constituents that they serve. Ask agencies Medicine’s Office of
who may be interested in your research topic if they will add your Institutional Planning and
dissemination documents or information to their website or other Communications oversees
publications. Health-related list-serves are also a popular outlet for the school’s website and
publishes Yale Medicine
distributing information to a large audience.
magazine, the bimonthly
newsletter Medicine@
Yale, the clinician-focused
monthly newsletter Yale
LOCAL EVENTS, SEMINARS OR CONFERENCES, Practice, and various
COMMUNITY MEETINGS other publications that
are potential outlets for
Hosting or attending seminars, conferences, community forums and/or dissemination of research
health fairs are common methods for informing others about research findings. Contact Director
of Communications
findings.
Michael Fitzsousa (michael.
fitzsousa@yale.edu) when
you have results being
published.
LETTER OF THANKS TO STUDY PARTICIPANTS

If possible, thanking study participants for their involvement is one of Yale Resource:
the most essential components of any research protocol. Letters can
Event Calendars
take many forms and could include research findings, if appropriate or
Regular seminars and
applicable. For a simple template, please refer to the Thank You Letter
events are listed in the Yale
Sample on page 19. School of Medicine Events
Calendar (http://info.med.
yale.edu/calendar/) and
the Yale School of Public
Health Calendar (http://info.
med.yale.edu/eph). For the
School of Public Health
calendar click calendar on
the left side of the page.
You can also advertise an
independent seminar or
community meeting on
CARE’s website. Simply
contact CARE staff at
CARE@yale.edu to request
that a notice be added.


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IV. STRATEGIES FOR DISSEMINATION CHECKLIST

The following information is presented in a checklist format by population type. You can refer to these
checklists individually as you plan your strategies for different audiences.

Study Participants and Participating Agencies

 Distribute flyers, brochures & research briefs  Host or attend seminars

(i.e. in health centers, clinics, agencies, and  Host community forums to discuss the research
neighborhoods)  Send letter of thanks (anonymous or targeted)
 Distribute summary document  Ask agencies to feature the research project in
 Send a regular newsletter summarizing research their newsletters & websites
in progress  Report to your funding agency

Communities (State, City, Town), including Community-Based Organizations, Public and

Private Sector Collaborators, and Legislative Advocacy Groups

 Distribute flyers, brochures & posters (i.e.  Appeal for articles in local media sources
in health centers, clinics, agencies, and  Request that CARE feature your study in a
neighborhoods) Research Brief
 Distribute summary document  Ask agencies to feature the research project in
 Host or attend seminars their newsletters & websites
 Host community forums to discuss the research  Produce policy brief or send policy position
 Participate in local health events statement

Connecticut Contact Information

A list of Connecticut community health centers is available at:
www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view.asp?a=3138&q=404886

A list of local organizations is available at Connecticut Department of Public Health’s website

www.ct.gov/dph/site/default.asp and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services’
website www.ct.gov/DMHAS/site/default.asp.

The United Way of Connecticut Infoline provides free state-wide community service information,
including lists of social service agencies: www.infoline.org or www.2-1-1.org


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Public Health Departments

 Distribute summary document

 Send press releases

Connecticut Contact Information

A list of Connecticut public health departments, including mailing labels, is available at:
https://www.han.ct.gov/local_health/localmap.asp

A list of all state health departments is available at:

http://www.fda.gov/oca/sthealth.htm

Policy Makers

 Distribute summary document

 Draft and send policy position statements
 Send press releases

Connecticut Contact Information

New Haven Board of Alderman: http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Aldermen/index.asp

A list of Connecticut policymakers is available from the following sources:

• Connecticut General Assembly:
• finding local legislators http://www.cga.ct.gov/maps/townlist.asp
• determining committee members http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/Committees.asp

• Connecticut 2003 Citizen Guide: provides general information on CT’s legislative process and
related contact information http://www.cga.ct.gov/asp/menu/citizen.asp


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Media

 Distribute summary document

 Send press releases to journals, newspapers, magazines, and electronic publications
 Post on health-related list serves and websites

Connecticut Contact Information

Local media sources can be found in “Disseminating Research Findings: Media Resources,” on
CIRA’s website: http://cira.med.yale.edu/research/index.asp

Yale Scientists and Students

 Create and distribute posters throughout  Notify YSM’s communications staff for possible
Yale’s campus inclusion in Yale Medicine, Medicine@Yale, or Yale
 Distribute summary document Practice
 Host or attend seminars and conferences  Notify Yale’s Office of Public Affairs of any major
 Appeal for submissions in various Yale publications or grant awards
newsletters  Request a posting on the CARE website
 Request that CARE feature your study in a Research
Brief

Yale Contact Information

Contact the Office of Institutional Planning Contact the Office of Public Affair’s science
and Communications regarding articles in Yale and medicine officers with stories that might
Medicine, Medicine@Yale and Yale Practice. be appropriate for broad dissemination:
• Michael Fitzsousa • Karen Peart (karen.peart@yale.edu)
Director of Communications • Bill Hathaway (william.hathaway@yale.edu)
(michael.fitzsousa@yale.edu) • Helen Dodson (helen.dodson@yale.edu)

Other Universities
 Create and distribute posters, flyers, or  Appeal for submissions in various newsletters
summary document  Notify university Communications Office
 Attend seminars and conferences


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V. SAMPLE DISSEMINATION DOCUMENTS

1. Dissemination Planning Form

2. Author Briefing Form for Writing a Press Release

3. Press Release Template

4. Research Summary Sample

5. Research Brief Sample

6. Newsletter Sample

7. Thank You Letter Sample

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DISSEMINATION PLANNING FORM*

This form is designed to assist study teams with the identification of key stakeholders and the development of
a project specific dissemination plan before the project actually begins. Activities identified and documented on
this form should be incorporated into the project work plan and timelines.

Today’s date:

Project title (full name):

Project start date: Project end date:

Project Coordinator:

Provide a very brief summary of projects and goals:

Conduct a stakeholder inventory. These should also be listed in the matrix on the following page.

Project funding agency:

University partners:

Other organizational partners:

Other individual collaborators:

Research participants (describe who they are and approximate #):

Are there any budgetary implications based on your dissemination plan not included in your current budget? If so, de-
scribe them here and estimate costs for additional dissemination activities.

If findings are positive, how can you influence implementations/change/sustainability?

Using the matrix on the following page, indicate the date(s) and mechanisms used to disseminate on-going and
end of project information to your multiple stakeholders.

(continued on next page)

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and national)
(include local, state
List of stakeholders

document
Research summary

Press release

research briefs
Flyers, posters and

with study update

study participants
Letter of thanks to

Study newsletter

workshop
Conference or

health fairs
Community forums,

Manuscript
Based on your inventory above, what further dissemination plans could be scheduled?

* Thank you to Kari Hartwig, Ph.D., and Beth Comerford at the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center for developing
this form.

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AUTHOR BRIEFING FORM FOR WRITING A PRESS RELEASE

Use this form for internal purposes to assist in preparing a press release.

Name and degrees:

Affiliation:
Address:
Email:
Fax:

Name of publication: Expected publication date:

1. What are the three most important findings of your research in relationship to their significance in the field?

(1)

(2)

(3)

2. Explain the topic in lay-person’s language (How would you explain it in basic terms to your next-door neighbor?).

3. Please indicate if your research affects (check all that apply):

____Healthcare ____Changes in Clinical Practice

____Insurance ____Health Policy/Government

____Pharmaceutical ____Further Research and Grants

____Regular individuals going to their doctor ____Public Health programs and practice

____Other: If Other, please specify_______________________

4. Do you have any media contacts that would be interested in your article? If so, please list them here.

5. Should a journalist require more information from which to write an article, do you wish to be interviewed? (Y/N)

6. If yes, how would you like to be contacted?

____ Phone: _________ Best time: ________________

____ Email: _____________________________________

7. Does a research partner institution have a press office? (Y/N) If yes, please provide a contact:

Thank you for your participation. Through this publicity program, we hope to raise awareness of your valuable research.

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PRESS RELEASE TEMPLATE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT:
Author’s Name, Title
School/Department
Address
Phone
Fax
Email

One-Line Attention-Getting Title

(City, STATE) Date of Distribution– This is a sample press release. Every release should begin with a short (25 words or
less), one-line paragraph that hooks the reader’s interest.

The purpose of a press release is to provide newsworthy information to the media. “Newsworthy” means that the infor-
mation is (1) timely (i.e., has some immediate impact on readers); (2) novel (e.g., the first, the best, etc.); (3) conse-
quential (i.e., a development that will have significant impact on readers); (4) dramatic (i.e., reveals something quirky
or colorful about the human condition or character); (5) prominent (i.e., relates to a public figure/organization); or (6)
proximate (i.e., affects people living in an area). Contrary to popular belief, newspapers and television stations are not sit-
ting around with empty space to fill, nor do they feel a moral responsibility to write about Yale.

The press release should be a concise (no more than two double-spaced pages), factual, informative, and straightforward
piece of writing that describes what you want the public to know. The most important and indispensable information
(who, what, when, where, etc.) is located at the beginning of the story; the most expendable is at the end. Make
every paragraph, sentence, and word count.

Text in all press releases should be typed in the font “Tahoma, size 10.” If you don’t have Tahoma, use Palatino, Helvetica,
or Times Roman.

If you are unable to stick to the preferred one-page format, end page one with:

(more)

And, add the following heading at the top of page two:

Page 2—Key Words From Title

Otherwise, end the press release with the following symbol:

###

If you are announcing an event, be sure to include accurate information about the time, date, location (includ-
ing street address and room number), and cost. Proofread, proofread, and proofread. Most media require at
least 2-3 weeks lead time to publish your event. If you use a quote, and it’s recommended that you do, give it
its own paragraph so that the reporter can easily pick it out.

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RESEARCH BRIEF SAMPLE (Front)

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RESEARCH BRIEF SAMPLE (Back)

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NEWSLETTER SAMPLE (Front)

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NEWSLETTER SAMPLE (Back)

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THANK YOU LETTER SAMPLE

Dear [INSERT PARTICIPANT’S NAME],

I would like to thank you for your participation in the [INSERT STUDY NAME]. The information you shared will
contribute to a better understanding of [INSERT PURPOSE].

Please remember that any data pertaining to you, as an individual participant, will be kept confidential. Once
all the data are collected and analyzed for this project, we plan to share this information through [INSERT
DISSEMINATION METHODS (e.g. newspaper articles, seminars, conferences, presentations, journal articles,
etc)]

If you are interested in receiving more information regarding the results of this study, or if you have any
questions or concerns, please feel free to contact [INSERT CONTACT NAME] at [INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS].
In particular, if you would like a summary of the results, please let us know by providing your email address or
alternate contact information.

Sincerely,

[INSERT PI NAME]

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