Chapter 12: Knowledge Mobilization
A Two Way Conversation
What is knowledge mobilization? Have you heard this term before? Let’s break it down. Mobilization means getting something ready to move. So with that in mind, we can think of knowledge mobilization as getting ideas ready to move. But where are we moving them to?
The goal of knowledge mobilization is connecting research with people in order to create change.
But it’s important not to think of the movement of ideas outside the university as a one-way street. It’s a dialogue with the communities that stand to be most impacted by the knowledge and ideas you’re sharing.
Knowledge mobilization can look like a conversation with your family at the dinner table. It can look like a town hall meeting, an infographic, a Tiktok video, a blog post, a podcast, a workshop. The way it looks depends on who it’s trying to reach.
Questions for Reflection
You may choose to free-write to one or all of the following questions.
- Who stands to be most impacted by your research paper?
- What would be the most effective way to communicate your research to the people who stand to be most impacted by it? For example, you would probably not communicate your research to your grandmother via an Instagram post.
- What communication channels or genres might you use to communicate your message to your target audience?
- How can we build in listening to our knowledge sharing activities?
Media Attributions
- Think © Kirby Wu is licensed under a CC BY (Attribution) license
When efforts are made to share information and/or knowledge with others, often as a tool to promote understanding, awareness, and change.
A conversation, discussion, or debate regarding a topic or issue.
