A Word from the Director

Surveying for Dissemination Characteristics

Frequently, dissemination plans are created in the heat of a proposal development process. These plans are often based in what a particular applicant may have done in the past or consider to be their "strength" in disseminating the outcomes of their grant activity. In other cases, an applicant may include what is perceived to be the newest "cutting edge" strategy that will give his/her proposal a competitive edge over all others.

Less frequently, dissemination plans are developed based upon the characteristics of a project's intended audience(s). In many cases, applicants may not describe or be familiar with the dissemination-related characteristics of their intended target audiences addressed in the dissemination plan.

Frequently, dissemination plans developed in the proposal process are based upon a particular type of document format. For example, it is not uncommon for applicants to propose to develop a certain number of articles for journal publication, or to develop a summary report of their findings, or to conduct a training session. The problem with this type of dissemination planning is that it is not based upon what is known about conducting effective dissemination (NCDDR, 1996). Effective dissemination plans need to be based upon an integrated understanding of the relationship of:

1. the intended user,
2. the content of the message,
3. the source from which the message will come, and
4. the medium that will be used to transfer the message.

The NCDDR staff have conducted surveys to help inform NIDRR grantees of the dissemination characteristics of a variety of audiences. This issue of The Research Exchange addresses stakeholder groups of non-NIDRR grantees that disseminate information to people with disabilities. The value in surveying this diverse audience rests in the fact that some NIDRR grantees cite these stakeholders as their intended dissemination target audience(s). A clearer understanding of the characteristics of this audience should facilitate more effective dissemination strategies to address their needs.

It never has been the case that effective dissemination includes the notion of "one size fits all." There is an indication that the target audiences of dissemination activities and, hopefully, the beneficiaries through their utilization of the disseminated information, do have variable characteristics. Yet, many times, dissemination plans treat their intended audiences as if there were no significant differences among them. This issue highlights the results of the latest NCDDR survey of stakeholders and past survey of consumers (see The Research Exchange, Volume 2, Number 4). We hope this information can help to inform applicants and grantees in the development or refinement of dissemination plans.

John D. Westbrook, Ph.D.
Director, NCDDR

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