Dissemination
Contents
Aims of dissemination
When developing any AR project it’s important to consider how you will disseminate it. If dissemination activities are planned at the outset it’s easier to make sure that the right people are informed about progress, at the right time, using the most appropriate methods. Consider the purpose of the dissemination activity, think about what you want to achieve and how it will support or inform project development.
Creating a dissemination plan
It’s helpful to create a communications and dissemination plan at the outset of any project to outline the dissemination strategy. Regularly reviewing and updating the plan helps to monitor progress and take advantage of opportunities as they arise. The dissemination plan should address key questions such as who, what, why, how and when. Suggested headings are listed below:
Aims of the communication plan
Outline the aims of dissemination activity and the reason for doing it. It may be that you want to gather feedback to inform development, raise awareness, promote the project, find partners or investigate funding opportunities. Think about what you want to achieve and how you aim to achieve it.
Key Messages
Think about the key messages you want to disseminate about your project. If you had one minute to communicate the purpose of your project to someone, think about what you’d like them to know. Focus on making sure messages are clear and easily understood. It may be useful to consider messages within the context of your organization to ensure that it’s consistent with and supports organizational policy.
Stakeholders
Consider the key people and groups that need to know about your project, might be affected by it or whose support you might need. It’s helpful to list all stakeholders that have some interest in your project, their specific interest in your project and level of interest and their importance to the success of your project. Once the stakeholder analysis is complete you may wish to focus on a limited number of groups that are key to the success of the project to ensure that dissemination activity is focused and effective.
Communication channels
- Blogs
- Websites
- Articles in publications
- Mailing lists
- Individual email contacts (both external and internal)
- Professional meetings/conferences and papers
- Informal community networking
- Cross-promotional activities (with partners)
- User surveys
- Demonstrations
- Case studies
- Press releases
Dissemination schedule
Create a schedule outlining possible dissemination events, articles, conferences and meetings where there will be opportunities to highlight the work of the project. It may be that additional funding will need to be secured in order to attend events but it’s useful to list all options should additional budget become available.
Related blog posts
SCARLET Dissemination Workshop
Demystifying the SCARLET app Workflow
The Benefits of Using Augmented Reality in Education