The Dissemination Phase

    This is the last phase of the research process. The purpose of this phase is to prepare research reports in order to communicate findings to the right and appropriate audience. Dissemination is a planned process that involves consideration of target audiences and the settings in which research findings are to be received and, where appropriate, communicating and interacting with wider policy and health service audiences in ways that will facilitate research uptake in decision‐making processes and practice.

    In this phase, there must be Stakeholders,  these are persons or groups that have a vested interest in a clinical decision and the evidence that supports that decision. They may be clients, customers, patients, caregivers, clinicians, researchers, advocacy groups, professional societies, businesses, policymakers, or others. Each group has a different perspective but must still be noted upon for their uniqueness and value.

    Then there are the End Users, they are the ultimate consumer of a product, especially the one for whom the product has been designed. They are the receivers of the research. Their response to a product or result of a research is the end point of the research. Specifying your target audience and their needs will provide focus for your dissemination plan and will help you tailor your offering to their needs. Be specific in you target demographic as this is most vital to your dissemination plan.

    This phase is no trivial thing to make as it need to be precise and accurate in order for this phase to have the appropriate audience. One must think about what is going to be disseminated, weigh out the pros and cons of the research and in relation to the results and findings. Think about the generality of the research, is it only about one demographic or more, and if more, is it's generality that versatile to be applied to more than one demographic. You must also make sure your results are ready and backed with heavy evidence.  Think about whether you can still make more tests or is this enough. Finally, is it with the times, think about its applicability in the modern era.

    You must also think about having dissemination partners, individuals or organizations to which your end users belong, people that can influence them through their credibility, expertise, or licensing powers. People with big influences can easily and greatly help you in persuading and convincing your end users. These individuals and organizations can serve as dissemination intermediaries, amplifying your reach into your target audiences. Think about opinion or well-known leaders in your professional community who might be interested in spreading the word about your research.

    Communication Effective dissemination relies on the use of varied channels such as publications and reports, Web sites and other electronic communications, meetings and conferences, person-to-person communications, formal collaborations or information networks. Also plan out available channels that is available that may allow you to easily communicate with your dissemination partners. Discuss, plan, and cooperate with your dissemination partners in what methods and channels you might use to bring your results, research finding, or product directly to your end users. Proper and quick communication is quite useful in the dissemination process so that any inquiries your end users or even partners may have, you can immediately shed light upon. You should consider all of these channels to ensure that the widest possible audience is exposed to your research finding or product and in ways that are both accessible and easy-to-use. Cost and cost-effectiveness are obviously important considerations in choosing the right medium.

    After all is said and done, evaluate your work. Evaluating the success of your dissemination efforts is an iterative process. Once you have begun to disseminate your research finding or product, consider how you might evaluate the effect that your dissemination strategies have on getting your message to end users. Dissemination is not a one-time activity; rather, it is a long-term relationship with your users that will provide ongoing feedback to help you improve your message. Set up a criteria and criticize yourself whether you have done a satisfying work or still inadequate. Reflect upon your shortcomings and come up with ways on how you might deal with such problems in the future. Accept constructive criticism as these may help you improve yourself and your dissemination process skills. Your end users have a different perspective than you, so take their feedbacks with utmost importance.

    Various dissemination tools are available for use to research teams pursuing the uptake of research findings. Such dissemination tools include Research reports, Peer review reports, Press release, and Policy briefs.

    As difficult as this phase may be, this is still necessary so that you can grab the attention of your end users, so that you can select the proper demographic, so that your research or product can be heard or be acquired by consumers, so that your hard work can be heard by many. All your efforts will be for naught if you cannot grab an audience to showcase your work.