The proposed KTA project will embrace the elements of storytelling and digital media as mechanisms for knowledge translation of key messages arising from the active research project. To meet these objectives, the project will harness the skills of a professional Knowledge Translation consultant with expertise in storytelling and a professional Podcast Developer/company. This will ensure that KT outputs are of a high professional standard and that professional expertise can be leveraged to help build the applicant’s practical skills in knowledge translation strategies for research.
In particular, the project will focus on applying the principles of storytelling as a novel and creative approach to knowledge translation. Storytelling has been cited as an undervalued skill in science and a potentially powerful tool for communicating research to diverse audiences (Bauman, 2023). Using the six-step Storytelling Template developed by Narrandes (2018), the project will aim to develop a series of storytelling outputs ‘translating’ aspects of the research in ways that are more meaningful for audiences and knowledge users.
The proposed project will also seek to leverage digital media as a platform for storytelling, using digital audio in the form of podcasts as the means of delivering these outputs. Podcasts are becoming an increasingly popular platform, allowing users to download digital audio files and listen to them in their own time. Podcasts are deemed to have educational, academic and accessibility benefits (Kiernan et al, 2023).
Monitoring and evaluation of the digital storytelling outputs will be subsequently undertaken, and dissemination will seek to share learning points with a range of stakeholders, including the Knowledge User.
A key goal of this project is to enable the applicant to develop expertise in both storytelling and digital media as important knowledge translation skills that can be applied throughout their research career.