Public engagement in research: tools and reflections on reaching new audiences
Academics have used a range of tools in which to showcase their research and ideas beyond the lecture theatre and journals. We are most pleased that academics who have used three such strategies – the use of videos, podcasting, and graphic novels – to enhance the visibility of their work, will share their reflections on the value of the work they have done, and considerations whilst putting these forms of engagement together.
In advance of the seminar, please take some time to look at the links to each of the engagement initiatives!
Speakers
Professor Adrian Gallagher (University of Leeds) will discuss his A-Z series in International Politics available on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. Since it was launched in late September 2024 it has generated over 500,000 views across social media platforms with hundreds of comments and messages. As research funding bodies are increasingly asking academics to include a public engagement strategy, this may be something that more academics consider going forward. With this in mind he will briefly explain how these videos are created and explain lessons. The hope is that this can form part of a broader discussion over the value of public engagement, what academics can learn from it, and the potential for journal articles/research grants/ESRC impact case studies. This is very much an informal session aimed at fostering Q&A.
Dr Michaelina Jakala (Coventry University) will discuss the Generation Peace Podcasts. The podcasts, published in 2024, explore case studies from a range of different countries that will challenge the way you think about the role young people play in peace and conflict. Michaelina used the podcasts to engage with young people, practitioners and academics, asking what we can learn from the experiences of child soldiers in Bosnia, from Generation 2000 – the Kurdish Millennials who’ve come of age in the aftermath of the US invasion of Iraq, and from the actions of young Colombians following the signing of the 2016 Peace Agreement. Michaelina will offer her reflections on podcasts as a tool for public engagement and what opportunities these have provided to engage new audiences.
Dr Elly Harrowell has worked with a team of academics to translate research data into a graphic novel. The result is Peace is More than the Silence of Guns, a comic that brings to life the stories of young people in Colombia engaged in peacebuilding following the 2016 peace agreement. The stories are rooted in data from the "Youth, Violence and Conflict Transformation Project," a research project by the Centre for Peace and Security at Coventry University and the Youth Observatory at Javeriana University.
The seminar is open to anybody interested in broadening their research to new audiences. We will have time for a Q&A.
Look forward to seeing you all there!
Registration will close two hours before the event begins