3 Dissemination

Figure 56.1 Figure 4 Making research findings public: making sure people know

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This is a photo of a loudspeaker system with six loud hailers mounted on a tall tower. Behind this is a wooded landscape.

Figure 4 Making research findings public: making sure people know

Dissemination is an ethical obligation. Researchers commit to making their findings public as part of their responsibilities to the gifts of the data provided by those involved in their research. However, there is a danger that dissemination is limited to submitting academic papers to journals or dissertation reports to universities. There might be a sponsor who has also requested interim monitoring and a final report. However, these forms of communication reach only particular audiences and only meet certain obligations. As research progresses, if a researcher is serious about making a difference, it is important to keep the full range of potential beneficiaries of the study in mind.