Recently, I came across a new term called "knowledge translation," which I initially thought might be something similar to science communication, but no, it has a different purpose.
Knowledge translation is how a scientist communicates their research findings to a specific audience, one that "holds the pen," such as the public sector. In other words, it's about how the researcher can, in a few words or directly, explain that those results obtained can positively impact society and influence public policies, adoption of new technologies, new investments, and so on. It's different from educating and raising awareness about science. It's a communication aimed at reaching a specific audience that can take action with that information.
Someone who brilliantly discusses this is Maria Paola de Salvo, a journalist and founder of EasyTelling, "a startup that aims to make an impact with science by translating, simplifying, and communicating scientific evidence to audiences that can apply and transform it into better public policies, products, and technologies."
As a journalist, she has experience in science journalism, worked for an international NGO, and even served as a consultant to the Brazil representative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where she had more contact with health researchers and saw firsthand the "pain" or the need to translate scientists' knowledge when it comes to being accountable to produce real social transformation and not just have the results remain in scientific articles.
That's when she started studying the subject and found the "knowledge translation" method. She completed training in Canada - one of the countries where this concept is state-of-the-art - and adapted the method to the Brazilian reality in 6 steps. Today, through EasyTelling, she trains scientists on these steps, and soon, we will all be able to see the innovations that the startup is preparing for the automation and scaling of this process.
This is an episode to listen to with a notebook by your side because she is very didactic, gives many tips, and asks questions that encourage scientists to think about how to plan and communicate our research to generate impact on society, or rather, how to translate our scientific knowledge to create positive transformations in society.
This conversation is not to be missed!
Let us know in the comments what you think, and share with those you think will enjoy this topic!
Have a great episode!
Listen here. (in Portuguese)