The document discusses knowledge mobilization and the importance of plain language. It defines knowledge mobilization as making research ready for practical application to create value and benefits. Specialized language creates barriers to accessing and sharing knowledge from different sources needed to address complex problems. The role of plain language is crucial as the core of knowledge mobilization and value creation involves conversation between various stakeholders. Barriers to research use include research not being communicated in ways relevant to end users.

1. What is the Role of Plain Language !
in Knowledge Mobilization?!
Peter Norman Levesque!
President !
Institute for Knowledge Mobilization!
13-­‐10-­‐15
1

2. Our Conversation Today!
•
•
•
•
13-­‐10-­‐15
What is Knowledge Mobilization?!
Why is it important?!
The crucial role of Plain Language.!
How to continue the conversation?!
2

3. What is !
Knowledge Mobilization?!
• A shift in thinking!
• research production & dissemination
to knowledge sharing, meaningmaking and greater use!
• A recognition that knowing ≠ doing !
• A focus on complex systems!
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4. What is !
Knowledge Mobilization?!
• A term wrapped up in Jargon!
• 90 different terms used!
• A system under construction!
• A promise of improvement with a
short track record!
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5. Growth
of
the
Research
System
h8p://jrp.icaap.org/index.php/jrp/arCcle/viewArCcle/128/106
2000
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1945
5
5

6. 6
This
growth
shiKs
pa8erns
of
sharing
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Passive
push
(unCl
1970s+)
Push
harder
(1990s+)
Partner
&
pull
(2000+)
• DisseminaCon
via
tradiConal
journals,
conferences
• Focus
on
implementaCon,
e.g.
performance
feedback
• Linkage
&
exchange,
e.g.
joint
producCon
6

7. 7
Lots
of
smart
people
trying
to
improve
the
use
of
research
to
solve
difficult
problems
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8. Growing
recogniCon
that
success
will
mean
working
together
in
more
complex
ways
8
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9. Knowledge
MobilizaCon
is
• Making
what
we
know
READY
to
be
put
into
SERVICE
and
ACTION
to
create
new
VALUE
and
BENEFITS.
• MulCple
methods
for
mulCple
purposes
and
audiences
• Includes
–
management,
transfer,
exchange,
translaCon,
implementaCon
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10. Knowledge
MobilizaCon
is
Value
CreaCon
Programs
Policies
PrioriCes
Processes
PracCce
InnovaCon
Suppor=ng
Infrastructure
IniCaCves
Value
Crea=on
Now
What:
Decisions,
DirecCons,
AcCons
So
What:
Meaning,
Analysis,
InterpretaCon
Products
PerspecCves
Procedures
PossibiliCes
People
Skills
Incen=ves
to
Share
between
Levels
What:
Data,
InformaCon,
DescripCon,
Stories
MULTIPLE
INPUTS
FROM
RESEARCH,
PRACTICE,
EXPERIENCE,
CULTURE
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11. Why is Knowledge !
Mobilization Important?!
•
•
•
•
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Growth of everything!
Good decisions are hard!
Lives are held in the balance!
Tragedy of wasted resources!
11

12. Do
we
have
data
overload
or
filter
failure?
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13. Access
New
Yorker:
John
Caldwell
2000
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13

14. Drowning
in
communicaCon?
• Never
in
human
history
have
we
hunted
for
so
much
data,
informaCon
and
knowledge.
• Never
in
human
history
have
we
gathered
so
much
that
is
useful
but
not
used.
• Growing
feeling
of
being
overfed
with
data?
• Data
becomes
informaCon
when
it
is
informaCve.
• InformaCon
becomes
knowledge
when
we
use
&
learn.
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15. Why
now?
• ProducCon
– Every
day,
we
create
2.5
quinCllion
bytes
of
data
—
so
much
that
90%
of
the
data
in
the
world
today
has
been
created
in
the
last
two
years
alone.
– This
data
comes
from
everywhere:
sensors
used
to
gather
climate
informaCon,
posts
to
social
media
sites,
digital
pictures
and
videos,
purchase
transacCon
records,
and
cell
phone
GPS
signals
to
name
a
few.
– This
data
is
big
data.
h8p://www-­‐01.ibm.com/soKware/data/bigdata/
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16. Over
–
ConsumpCon?
Email:
144
billion
email
per
day
worldwide.
(2012)
Websites:
624
million
(2012)
Users:
2.4
billion
(2012)
Mobile:
6.7
billion
mobile
subscripCons
(2012)
Twi8er:
175
million
tweets
daily
average
(2012)
Facebook:
1
billion
users
(2012)
Google:
1.2
trillion
searches
on
Google
(2012)
YouTube:
4
billion
hours/month
of
video
watched
(2012)
– Youth:
spend
less
Cme
watching
TV
(60%)
and
more
Cme
online
(600%)
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
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17. Impact
New
Yorker:
Sam
Gross
1991
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18. Richard
Heinberg
Quote
Taking
in
traumaCc
informaCon
and
transforming
it
into
life-­‐affirming
acCon
may
turn
out
to
be
the
most
advanced
and
meaningful
spiritual
pracCce
of
our
Cme.
h8p://globalpublicmedia.com/how_do_you_like_the_collapse_so_far
13-­‐10-­‐15
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18

19. Knowledge
mobilizaCon
as
a
support
for
decision
making
Other
Factors
Experience
Judgement
EmoCons
Resources
ConCngency
PragmaCcs
Evidence
Values
Habits
Pressure
TradiCons
Groups
Lobbyists
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Philip
Davies,
Is
Evidence-­‐Based
Government
Possible?
Jerry
Lee
Lecture
2004,
Washington,
DC
19

20. The crucial role of !
Plain Language!
• The problems are complex!
• Solutions require multiple
sources of knowledge!
• Specialized language creates
barriers to accessing needed
people!
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21. Core
of
Value
CreaCon
is
ConversaCon
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22. Layman’s
Language
New
Yorker:
Dana
Fradon
1975
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22

23. 4
Common
Obstacles
to
Research
Use:
1. The
research
quesCon
is
not
perCnent
to
pracCce.
2. The
research
is
not
Cmely.
3. The
research
is
not
communicated
in
ways
relevant
to
users.
4. Management
pressures
trump
the
use
of
research-­‐
based
evidence
in
decision-­‐making.
Source:
Allen,
P.
et
al
2007.
“Commissioning
research
that
is
used:
the
experience
of
the
NHS
Service
Delivery
and
OrganizaCon
Research
Development
Programme.”
Evidence
&
Policy,
3(1):
119-­‐134,
as
summarized
in
CHSRF’s
Insight
and
Ac5on,
Issue
13,
June
2007.
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23
23

24. We
need
to
be
creaCve:
In
order
to
create
the
“ideal”
future,
you
need
a
lot
of
ideas
from
which
to
choose
otherwise
the
future
tends
to
look
like
a
linear
extension
of
what
already
exists.
Or
If
you
want
to
know
what
the
future
is,
be
part
of
its
development.
(Peter
Drucker)
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25. Plain
Language
Summaries
h8p://researchimpact.wordpress.com/
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25
25

26. Cochrane
CollaboraCon
h8p://www.cochrane.org
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26

27. GranCng
Councils
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27
27

28. How to continue !
the conversation?!
• Linking Plain Language and
Knowledge Mobilization
Efforts!
• Canadian Knowledge
Mobilization Forum!
• Communities of Practice!
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29. Canadian
Knowledge
MobilizaCon
Forum
h8p://www.knowledgemobilizaCon.net/forum
Dates
set
for
2014
–
June
9
&
10
in
Saskatoon
Venues
selected
unCl
2020
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29

30. Knowledge
Transfer
and
Exchange
Community
of
PracCce
13-­‐10-­‐15
30
30

31. Contact
informaCon
(613)
552-­‐2725
peter@knowledgemobilizaCon.net
www.knowledgemobilizaCon.net
@peterlevesque
Fairmont
Chateau
Laurier
1
Rideau
Street,
Suite
700
O8awa,
ON,
K1N
8S7
13-­‐10-­‐15
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