Guide to Translating Research on Business Sustainability

Your research on business sustainability can impact the world. Share it with practitioners by using our step-by-step guide to “research translation.” 

Too often, academic research stays in scholarly journals, not reaching people who could actually implement the findings. At NBS, we address that challenge through:

• “Research translation” — sharing research with practitioners

• “Research co-creation” — developing research in interaction with practitioners

Translation and co-creation are both valuable and can be linked. We’ve developed many materials on co-creation. Now, we offer a guide on research translation.

Steps to Translating Business Sustainability Research

Our “Guide to Translating Research” walks you through:

1. Identifying what you want to share and to whom (the message and audience)

2. Identifying ways to share (outlets and resources)

3. Fine tuning the material (the pitch and full content)

The advice focuses on work on business sustainability, but can be applied to research in any field.

See the Guide Applied

NBS presented this guide on a webinar organized by the Impact Scholar Community, a group for early-career research scholars who want to connect research to impact. The webinar includes advice on using the guide (50:00 – 1:20:30).

And, watch the full webinar for great guidance on research translation from researchers, managers, and journalists.

Webinar:

• 0:00 – 6:00: Introduction

• 6:00 – 50:00: Panel with Magali Delmas, Professor of Management at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and the Anderson School of Management; Stephanie Bertels, Director of Simon Fraser University Beedie’s Centre for Corporate Governance and Sustainability and the founder of the Embedding Project; and Tom Ewart, Senior Manager, Sustainability, The Co-operators

• 50:00 – 1:20:30: Research Translation Guide (experiential exercise) with Maya Fischhoff, Knowledge Manager, NBS; and Bryan Keogh, Senior Editor, Economy + Business, The Conversation. (PowerPoint available here)

• 1:20:30 – 1:30:00: Publishing at the Conversation, with Bryan Keogh, Senior Editor, Economy + Business, The Conversation)