Research and Knowledge Mobilization Center
What is Knowledge Mobilization?
Knowledge mobilization is about getting the "right information" to the "right people" in the "right format" at the "right time".
- It consists of activities and outputs that build awareness, disseminate findings, and enable use of research.
- The goal is to maximize the impact of research and communicate these impacts as widely as possible.
Why KMb?
- Most research funding agencies require a knowledge mobilization plan in the development of research proposals.
- KMb strategies increase the probability that your research will be used for its intended purpose and by its intended audience.
Video Resources
KMb Overview
Knowledge mobilization is an umbrella term encompassing a wide range of activities relating to the production and use of research results, including knowledge synthesis, dissemination, transfer, exchange and co-creation or co-production by researchers and knowledge users.
KMb rests in the belief that "embodies the idea that use of knowledge is a social process, not just an intellectual task, and as such as multidirectional, not just a matter of moving information from those that know to those that do not" (Cooper, 2014)
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council prioritizes the implementation of Knowledge Mobilization Strategies as essential in the research grant application process.
- Who stands to benefit from this research?
- Which audiences will be involved, when and how?
- How will the audiences benefit from being involved and how will the research benefit from their involvement?
- What is the best way to communicate with these audiences?
There are several steps in the researcher's consideration of the implementation of KMb which include:
- Determining the essential information which should be transferred: Identify the "so what" of your research
- Determining the target audience: To whom should the research be transferred? Examples of this include educational institutions, non-profit organizations, governmental organizations, and for-profits organizations.