Engagement

Think about effective ways to reach the groups or individuals you have identified and build relationships with them. Tailor your approach to suit your different audiences. 

Publications

Choosing where to publish is very important. If your publication is easy to discover and access it can increase the visibility of your research. To engage with a specific group it might be better to choose a particular outlet. The Think section of Strategic Scholarly Publishing explains factors to consider.

Websites or blogs

Create webpages that showcase your research. Use plain language to communicate your research so that potential end-users can understand it. Use Search engine optimisation (SEO) techniques to improve your content's ranking in search engine results.

Events and conferences

Attend events and present at conferences to promote your research and network with potential end-users.

Organise events around your research area and invite key people your research will benefit.

Media and news

Media attention, such as television or radio, can raise the profile of your research and help you reach a broad audience. You can promote yourself as an expert for interviews or provide opinion on relevant topics.

The Office of Marketing and Communications (OMC) provides advice, assistance and training to promote your work positively and consistently in the news and social media.

Social media

You can use social media for collaboration and public engagement. Use platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to share content and build a following. 

• UQ Marketing and Communication Social Media advice
• The Graduate School runs sessions for Higher Degree by Research (HDR) candidates on communicating your research
• Get tips on creating content in Social media
• Science Media Savvy has tips and resources on using social media from the Australian Media Science Centre

Identify #hashtags and popular keywords

• Google trends is a useful tool for examining interest in a topic over time and by region. It can help you determine the terminology commonly used on your topic
• Social Searcher lists hashtags and keywords used within the posts

Collaboration

UQ Research Partnerships Managers (RPMs) facilitate interactions between UQ researchers and external partners, ranging from industry to government departments.

Check who is citing your publications or talking about your research to identify potential partners. View how to find citation metrics.

LinkedIn can be useful for networking with industry or other professionals.

Influencing policy

Policy Impact: a 'How to' guide for researchers — outlines strategies for engaging with policy makers.

Data visualisation

Presenting your data visually can be a really effective way to communicate your research to your end-users. See our recommended tools for:

• Analysis
• Presenting and infographics

The Library offers training sessions on data analysis and visualisation.