Creating Inspiring Workshops and Courses in Transdisciplinarity: A Guide - Manual / Resource - Page 88
How often and how to communicate in transdisciplinary
research projects
Different team members and project partners will require
different frequencies and depths of communication. For example,
a key societal partner may need weekly written updates or phone
calls, a project advisory group only a quarterly newsletter, a
funder meeting only once or twice per year.
Depending on the scientific advance or the political significance
and timing of the delivery of results, communication may be
mostly outward-facing and intense at certain times (e.g., at the
launch of a project, at a major discovery or turning point in the
project, at the release of project results), but only quietly internal
for much of the duration of the project.
For all of these reasons, it is advisable to develop a
communications plan integral to your project plan or as a
separate, parallel plan with specific tasks and deadlines
oriented toward different audiences. Consult experts,
university media offices, and other effective communicators for
different communication tasks. Consider obtaining a tailored
communication training that can equip you and your team with
the requisite skills.
In short, communication in TDR projects requires skill, deliberate
attention, and continuity. If you do not have the skill, patience,
or capacity to do communication well, hire or designate
another team member specifically for that task. Consult and
communicate frequently at least with that person so as to
stay up-to-date and clear on what is being communicated
with whom. Projects run into unnecessary hurdles or can go
off the rails when communication is neglected. When it is well
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tended, communication creates the relational glue among team
members, partners, and other relevant audiences that makes
projects fun and successful. It must not be neglected.
Further reading:
•
Bagnol, Brigitte, Elizabeth Clarke, Mu Li, Wende Maulaga,
Hilda Lumbwe, Robyn McConchie, Julia de Bruyn, and
Robyn Gwen Alders. 2016. Transdisciplinary Project
Communication and Knowledge Sharing Experiences in
Tanzania and Zambia through a One Health Lens. Frontiers
in Public Health 4 (February).
•
Fischer, Cornelia, Verena Radinger-Peer, Larissa Krainer,
and Marianne Penker. 2024. Communication Tools and
Their Support for Integration in Transdisciplinary Research
Projects. Humanities & Social Sciences Communications 11
(1).
•
Minois, Nadege. 2023. The Keystone of Success: The
Crucial Role of Communication in Project Management.
Institute Project Management.
•
Suldovsky, Brianne, Bridie McGreavy, and Laura
Lindenfeld. 2018. Evaluating Epistemic Commitments
and Science Communication Practice in Transdisciplinary
Research. Science Communication 40 (4): 499–523.
Practices How often and how to communicate
