Communicating health research (94) International Metwork for the Availability of Publications (INASP)

28 September, 2022

Before I started HIFA I used to work for the International Metwork for the Availability of Publications, INASP, an Oxford-based charity which works 'in partnership to strengthen the capacity of individuals and institutions to produce, share and use research and knowledge, in support of national development'. www.inasp.info

Below are some relevant extracts from their current website:

Research communication: Southern researchers face the same pressure to publish as Northern researchers, but often don’t have access to the resources, information, training, and support networks they need. We support Southern researchers and their institutions to build the confidence, knowledge and skills so that their research can be published and communicated – to academic and non-academic audiences.

Our approach is to build the individual skills of researchers via:

- Massive open online courses (MOOCs) on research writing and publication. Our large-scale online courses in research writing, publishing and grant proposal writing are supported by expert facilitators from around the world.

- Thematic online courses on research communication and proposal writing. We deliver intensive courses on research communication and proposal writing, tailored to fit thematic areas, and country context.

- Supporting research communication to non-academic audiences, such as policymakers and practitioners. We design and implement research uptake strategies and skills training for projects aiming to influence policy.

INASP also runs the AuthorAID platform, which provides support and services for over 20,000 developing country researchers, including mentoring.

In 2021 INASP published Context Matters: A Framework to support knowledge into policy, 'a participatory tool to help detect and understand the best entry points to improve the use of knowledge in a public agency'. This framework

- Looks at internal factors within an organization as well as the external political economy and relationships .

- Addresses visible changes, such as new processes or behaviours, and invisible changes, such as incentives or cultures for knowledge use

- Builds on the experience of 50+ policymakers and practitioners

- [has been] Tried and tested with multiple government agencies in a wide range of countries, including Peru, Ghana, Uganda, Pakistan

I invite you to have a look and comment:

https://www.inasp.info/contextmatters

QUESTION: Are you aware of any useful practical guides for research communication? Please let us know by sending an email to: hifa@hifaforums.org

With thanks, Neil

Joint Coordinator, HIFA Communicating health research https://www.hifa.org/projects/new-effective-communication-health-researc...

Let's build a future where every person has access to reliable healthcare information and is protected from misinformation - Join HIFA: www.hifa.org

HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of the HIFA global health movement (Healthcare Information For All - www.hifa.org ), a global community with more than 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting on six global forums in four languages in collaboration with WHO. HIFA brings stakeholders together to accelerate progress towards universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK based non-profit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Twitter: @hifa_org neil AT hifa.org