Research writing and communication workshops

For research to have a real-world development impact, a comprehensive approach to research uptake and is needed in order to maximize the usefulness and use of research.

INASP has been commissioned by a wide range of international organisations to design and deliver workshops that develop stakeholder engagement and research communication skills.

Using a combination of online and face to face approaches, we draw on our expertise in participatory workshop design and adult learning approaches to enable participants to learn from each other and strengthen opportunities for dialogue.

Workshops have been delivered at the following events:

Global Young Academy: Research writing training programme 

INASP was commissioned to provide online training for up to 100 early career researchers within the Global Young Academy network to improve the researchers’ understanding of key principles, considerations and approaches in academic research writing and academic communication. Workshops were delivered online and included both synchronous and asynchronous elements.  

Academic research writing sessions focused on key issues in research ethics and publishing ethics and the journal publishing environment, including hot topics such as Open Access and ‘predatory publishing’; different factors involved in selecting an appropriate target journal for research paper submission and principles of academic writing style and structure, with a focus on writing in concise English 

University of Edinburgh: Catalyst Africa Research Workshop

The University of Edinburgh’s Centre of African Studies held a week-long ‘Catalyst Africa Research Workshop’ for Catalyst Fellows, covering a number of aspects of researcher capacity building. 

INASP provided a one-day ‘Grant writing, funding, research communication and impact workshop’ (or “How to win friends, get funding and influence people”) which included sessions on:

• Grant writing and fundraising – included essentials and tips, writing for UK grants, components of a proposal and impact pathways. 
• Research impact (facilitated remotely – looked at Doing Research Differently and how to maximise the usefulness and use of research. 
• Navigating the Open Access publishing landscape – exploring types of Open Access, practical tips and pitfalls to avoid, Open Access funding and Plan S. 
• Opportunities, collaboration and partnerships in the UK – looked at UK opportunities, finding and approaching a UK collaborator, equitable partnerships and maximising researcher profiles. 
• Communication strategies and impact – covered techniques for messaging, choosing channels and outputs, communicating in plain language, pitching to a science editor, pitching Op Eds and the experiences of a science journalist. 

AuthorAID Research Writing Workshop for LIRA 2030 

As part of the ongoing LIRA 2030 project (a five-year programme aimed at early career African scientists and implemented in partnership with the Network of African Science Academies and the International Science Council) INASP was invited to support a training event on integrated research.  INASP designed and deliver a workshop focused on preparing, writing and publishing a research paper, writing practice, and formulating a strategy to achieve publication success.  The workshop also included sessions on key ethical issues in research and publishing and awarness of hot topics such as Open Access and ‘predatory publishing’.