Preparation Exploration Negotiation Implementation
Researcher: I am writing for a sophisticated audience of other academics. The language and words I use reflect my mastery of the material and my ability to connect with what my peers are publishing.
Practitioner: I can't understand what this report is saying, and my teams are going to have an even greater problem understanding your language. It seems like you just used our project to get yourself a peer-reviewed publication, but then I receive little/no benefit from the energy that I invested in helping you.
Convergence: This is a common frustration in academic-practitioner exchanges. Ensure that you allow for time and resources to develop versions of the analysis reports that meet the needs of both parties. You may even want to invest in an editor or third party to assist with this translation process.
Questions Researchers Can Ask:
In my research, I use ____(these terms)_____ to explain the concept we are talking about. What terms do you use?
What products can I produce for you beyond an academic paper (ex: brief, workshop, facilitation guide, toolkit, webinar, etc.)?
Questions Practitioners Can Ask:
In my work, we use ______(these terms)________ to explain the concepts we are talking about and ____(this term)____ is what the donor uses. What terms do you use?
What products do you plan to produce at the end of the research project?
Questions Both Can Ask:
How much time and resources can we allocate to meet the needs of both parties?
Could a third party (editor, or technical consultant) improve the usefulness of research products?
How can we work together to review the terminology used in products so they can be used quickly?
What language do the end users speak? If researchers' primary language is English, then beware of idioms to ease language translation.