As a researcher, you may dream of bringing a change to the world. You definitely want to make changes in the world with your research work so that these changes will benefit the societies and people of the world. You want to use the impact of your research to benefit the world.
Most researchers are so focused on their research work and publication process that they hardly think about these issues. With so many manuscripts getting published in a year, finding a paper you published can be a challenge.
What is Research Impact? – Why is it important?
Research impact can be defined as the global impact that research has on society, culture, environment, and economy. Research impact cannot be easily measured by publishing a research paper and calculating the metric. Increasing the reach and exposure of the conducted study contribute to the impact of the research.
In addition, it is not only the publication of a research paper that is relevant to the research field, it is also important to collect citations to the published work. If the articles are not read, they will not be cited, and if they do not reach the intended audience, they will not be read.
The research journey becomes beneficial when the purpose and importance of the research meet the target audience. In this DoNotEdit article, we discuss the effective methods of increasing readers for research impact.
How Can You Increase Research Impact Pre-publication?
1. Choose the Right Journal
Finding a suitable journal is an important factor in publishing research. We advise you to choose the most famous journal that is related to the topic of your research study. One way to find journals related to your research topic is to review the references of your paper and see which journals are cited most frequently.
Also, you can search for your title and keywords in Google Scholar to find journals that have published similar topics. Additionally, you can use PubMed to find leading peers in the field you are publishing.
2. Choose Effective Title, Abstract, and Keywords
The title of the research article is the first important part of the article that the reader of the article pays attention to. A good descriptive title draws the reader’s interest to the article. Therefore, choosing an effective title, abstract, and keywords is essential for a successful publication. The title highlights the main body of the research study, the keyword helps to find the article in a search engine, and the abstract acts as a marketing tool to entice the reader to read the article.
3. Build a Strong Profile Information
You can use online sites and networks, such as LinkedIn and ResearchGate, to increase your profile’s online visibility and highlight your research work. In addition, researchers store their data, email communications, and scientific papers online.
Apart from ORCID, you can also use ImpactStory, which allows you to create an online resume of all research products. It also provides information about the number of times your article has been cited and discussed across the web.
Moreover, you can use Figshare. This website is like a repository that can boost your online presence. Researchers can put their research output in this repository for public access. Additionally, each research object (e.g., raw data, poster, infographic, video, etc.) receives a DOI. Thus, Figshare helps the excellent presentation of your research work to the research community.
4. Choose Open-Access, If Possible
Open-Access is a platform that provides free, immediate, and online access to research outputs, such as journal articles or books.
Over years, open access has shown the impact of research to be far greater than articles that are not freely available. If possible, publish your articles through open access to better understand the impact of your research on the world. Open access articles are more cited.
5. Get an ORCID
ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a permanent digital ID linked to the researcher’s personal information. It is a non-profit organization that gives researchers a unique digital ID. These identifiers are used by editors, funding agencies, publishers, and institutions to identify individuals. This reduces the risk of your identity being mistaken for another researcher with the same name. The ORCID website provides researchers with a page where a researcher’s comprehensive research activities are stored.
How Can You Increase Research Impact Post-publication?
1. Spread the Word on Social Media
Social media is a dynamic platform. Uploading content to Twitter, Facebook, or YouTube is a time-consuming process. If you want to keep the interest of the target audience, your involvement in content management is required. You can design eye-catching and understandable images, graphics, and videos that help you communicate the purpose of the research effectively.
2. Leverage Press Releases and Conferences
In case your university has press offices wherein press releases are sent to journalists on behalf of your university to announce news updates. If you think your article is good enough to be published in the mainstream media, i.e. your study is related to public health or current affairs, then you can contact your university press office.
Conferences are the traditional way used for the promotion of research. Aim to attend at least one international conference per year and present a poster or conference article. You could create a concise poster or an engaging presentation that will help you publicize your research and stimulate a discussion.
3. Create Video Abstracts to Target Digital Media
Presenting videos is one of the most effective ways to reach a larger audience and garner more views and citations.
This video can be a 1-3-minute full HD video with skillful animations that can include attractive images, soundtracks, and subtitles. You can promote this video on different social networks by providing the link to download the full article.
4. Encourage Open Data Sharing
Make the research data available for research impact. Articles with open data get cited more frequently than paid articles. Furthermore, you can create attractive graphs and figures and illustrate reports in research work to attract the non-science audience.
5. Include Animated Figures and Graphics for Better Visualization
Animated figures help present data in an effective and accessible way, directing the readers to your article. Scientific illustrations can demonstrate your research through science and art and help approach a broader audience with simplified science.
6. Make Use of Graphical Abstracts
Your research can be more interesting when you present data through attractive images that provide an overview of your research. You can also use infographics to visually display research data, charts, tables, figures, etc. which makes science easier for audiences.
7. Launch Podcasts around the Subject
A podcast that summarizes your latest research article is another effective way to increase the engagement of the audience and interest in your work.
8. Start Blogging
Although blogging is a time-consuming method, it is a useful way to influence research. You can take your research discussion to the blog and engage readers by asking their opinion on the research topic. You can also talk about the problems you face while working on your research study.
You could also promote your research on your personal social media by using a simplified explanation of your research in an image, a short video, or an infographic.
If you want that the general public read and understand your research, click here.
Are there any other factors you want to consider for research impact? Would you rather prefer an assisted service to promote your research? Do let us know in the comments below.