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The (ScholCommLab) is tackling an important issue experienced by many researchers in academia. 

There is too narrow of a focus on developing traditional scholarly outputs, like peer-reviewed publications and books, that very often sit behind a paywall. Not only are these forms not necessarily the best way for disseminating scholarly work, they also unnecessarily limit accessibility and perpetuate inequities.

In searching for real solutions, the ScholCommLab was founded by its co-directors , 51社区黑料publishing professor and co-scientific director of the , and , information studies professor at the University of Ottawa.

They founded the lab based on their shared values鈥攚anting academic research to be open, transparent, collaborative, and non-hierarchical鈥攁nd a shared research interest in scholarly communication. 

In keeping with these values, when I connected with Alperin for this story, he insisted the invitation be extended to the full ScholCommLab. In addition to Alperin and Haustein, interviews were conducted with lab members .  

The research at the lab covers . The lab practices what they preach. 

For example, Gregory and Ninkov are looking at researchers鈥� current practices for while also trying to ensure they are following themselves.

The researchers are thus learning from their own experience of doing aspects of what they are studying and promoting it. They are inspired by the aphorism 鈥渢he perfect is the enemy of the good鈥� 鈥� recognizing that both the research and their data practices must proceed, despite the imperfect data sets and practice standards, in an effort to make progress on both.

In another lab project, Fleerackers and Alperin looked at the issue of , in response to concerns and interest in the area early in the COVID pandemic. Not only did they address a question relevant to knowledge user groups, but then they shared the findings in various mediums tailored to different stakeholders. The research question was so topical that the shared were circulated very . (They also recently did a follow-up study; it鈥檚 fittingly ).

This work is an excellent example of how 鈥渕eta鈥� knowledge mobilization research can be: the team is both researching scholarly and science communication AND studying the type of knowledge mobilization strategies used to share that same research.

Is operating in the science and practice of knowledge mobilization space worth it? According to all of these researchers, the answer is a resounding yes. 

As Alperin explained, 鈥渋f people know about our work, we can be more successful鈥�. The ScholCommLab are united in their interest to improve scholarly and science communication in a way that is useful and accessible to all.

Want to learn more about unique ways of sharing your research? Register now for . Stay in the know - follow , knowledge mobilization officer, on Twitter for the latest news, events, jobs, and publications, and sign up for the 51社区黑料Knowledge Mobilization Hub newsletter.

Knowledge Mobilizers is a story series from the Knowledge Mobilization Hub that highlights knowledge mobilization (KM) projects around the university. At SFU, KM is about collaborating on, and exchanging, research discoveries to create a positive impact in our far-reaching communities.