Six tips for academic–practitioner exchange
Rheea Saggar shares ways to make academic work accessible to policy-makers
The all-too-pervasive gap between International Relations scholars and policy-makers can be a daunting chasm for researchers looking to have an impact beyond the narrow confines of the academic discipline. Too often, academic work remains out of reach to policy-makers and the wider public.
In March 2023, the International Affairs team joined academics and editors at a roundtable discussion on ‘The benefits and pitfalls of practitioner–academic exchange’ at the annual convention of the International Studies Association. Following up on that discussion, this blog highlights six ways academics can make their research relevant and accessible to policy-makers and practitioners.
1) Consider your audience (even before you write)!
Before you start writing your next article, think hard about which scholars, policy-makers, practitioners and larger communities can benefit from your research. Identifying your audience even before you write can help tailor your language to their benefit and allow you to find the right publications to house your research.
2) Editors are your friends
Published academic work is often a result of years of research and effort. The scholarly instinct to be protective of one’s work is understandable. Nevertheless, when it comes to reaching wider, non-academic audiences, editorial support is key in shaping academic work to be accessible. As argued by Professor Dan Drezner, editors are your friends, not your enemies, and can help you more than you might expect.
3) Think about how you tell your story
Often what you say is less important than how you say it. Roxanne Escobales, the editor of The World Today, emphasized the art of telling your story in a way that meets the needs of policy influencers. ‘When you tell your story, have an opinion. Think of it as a 30 second elevator pitch. Stories have beginnings and ends. What is yours?’
In a similar vein, Isabel Muttreja, the Marketing Manager at International Affairs, highlighted how effective academic–practitioner exchange often involves setting out to write accessibly. ‘You may have a great article, but if your abstract is inaccessible then that lowers your reach.’
4) Build relationships
An important way to foster academic–practitioner exchange is by building relationships and networks. Dr Jordan Tama advised scholars to look for opportunities to engage directly with policy-makers. For instance, Chatham House and Bridging the Gap are great spaces not only to build connections, but also to gain a glimpse into how policy-makers understand contemporary issues.
5) Impact can mean many things
Thanks to technological innovations there is an ever-growing number of avenues for scholars to disseminate their research to the wider public. Thus, promoting your research in ways consonant with technological trends is a great place to start. For example, Isabel Muttreja emphasized that, given the central role search engines play when academics look for articles, scholars should choose titles that make good use of Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Furthermore, while citation numbers are important, academic impact is much broader and encompasses a range of other factors, especially when assessing impact among policy-makers. For instance, if a journalist, policy-maker or leader in a community engages with your work on Twitter, the impact can be far wider-ranging than is achieved through a citation alone. Thus, having a holistic approach to academic impact is key, especially when reaching policy-makers and practitioners.
6) Be ready for unexpected issues
Dr Maryanne Kelton reminded the panel that, despite one’s best efforts, unexpected issues and many practical challenges can arise when working with policy-makers. Be it the challenges to obtain security clearances or the pressures faced by policy-makers to avoid collaboration with scholars, it can be difficult to maintain stable and long-lasting policy contacts. Thus, leaning on a diverse community for support, be it of academics or practitioners, can be helpful in navigating such challenges and dealing with any setbacks.
Finally, while there are many benefits of nourishing academic–practitioner exchange, not all academic research may be equally relevant for practitioners. As highlighted by Juliet Dryden, the Director of the British International Studies Association, sometimes it can be important to safeguard the space for scholars to do academic research for its own sake.
Rheea Saggar is the Editorial and Marketing Assistant at International Affairs.
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For more advice and insights from the editorial team, take a look at our Editor’s Desk blog series.
All views expressed are individual not institutional.
