Knowledge translation is vital to any research project!

When asked ‘what do you research’, the easiest thing is to respond with lots and lots of jargon to sound smart!

It is much harder to communicate your research to a person who is outside of your area without using jargon from within your field.

To be able to explain the topic in an accessible way is beneficial for two reasons. Firstly, it creates ‘new knowledge’ because it expands the research area to  people outside the discipline area. Secondly, this creates the potential fore new conversations and therefore, new ideas.

This is the concept of ‘knowledge translation’. It allows for the understanding of your area as well as the exposure of what you are researching.

As rookie researcher, using the concept of knowledge translation with other academics seems quite daunting. So I decided to conduct an experiment over dinner last week. I thought I would start small and engage in a conversation with a close friend who holds a senior position in a pharmaceutical company. I discussed my research topic with her and she became quite involved and asked me a lot of questions. Unfortunately, I fumbled a little in my responses and stumbled on a few questions. This was a great test, for the next time I am explaining my topic I will be able to translate my topic a little clearer and the more people I practice on the easier it will become.

It also allowed me to expand my research field for she asked questions that I did not know how to answer.

By understanding the concept of knowledge translation, I have taken the first step in explaining my project. This opens up the topic area as new ideas are brought about by the discussion and the conversation, enabling me to explore new direction in the research.