Good research is research that is written. Nevertheless, research could be impactful if people read it and can be used as reference material to solve problems in society. Among the time, the need of information was developed. We need a novelty strategic in writing the effective report. Therefore, our research could be captivating.
PATTIRO through the support of the International Development and Research Center (IDRC) and the OAK Foundation held an effective and easy-to-understand report writing training for PATTIRO activists on 20-21 November 2022 at the Aston Hotel, Jakarta. It encourages to enhance the skill of processing data and compiling effective scientific research reports for PATTIRO team.
There are some classic problems which emerge in the beginning of writing: no clue about what should be written, no masteries the problem yet, unfocused text, mindlessly text, and not effective text. In order for these problems to be resolved, the facilitator emphasizes the importance of determining the angle of the writing. It should meet the following requirements: newest, appealing, significant, and having strong character. The angle determination also prohibits writers from writing mindlessly. Therefore, the writer can sort out which findings or materials should be included in the writing and which should be eliminated or made separately.
Moreover, in accepting the challenges of the times regarding the diversity of information presentations, the facilitator suggested compiling research in various types of lighter and shorter writing such as opinions, infographics that can be uploaded to PATTIRO social media, releases published in the media, and others, not only in research report format. It could reach a wider audience. “There is a difference between researchers and readers. Researchers tend to write chronologically, while readers want to immediately know the important findings of the research. Readers often don’t have time to read the entire report,” said the facilitator.
Apart from capturing a wider audience, research which conducted by PATTIRO can also be published in scientific journals. Director of the Center for Regulation Policy and Government (CRPG) who became the facilitator in this training, Mohamad Mova Al Afghani, said publishing research in scientific journals could strengthen the arguments of researchers in the academic realm so that the advocacy carried out could be more verifiable. “For NGOs, it is not necessary to publish research in scientific journals that have Scopus or Sinta because the main goal is to broaden the dissemination of research results,” said Mova.
The team members who took part in the training seemed enthusiastic about listening to the materials presented by the facilitators. They took turns asking questions to the facilitators, especially in overcoming classic problems experienced by writers as well as tips on collecting data from research sources. This training also serves as a forum for consultation for writings that are being and have been done by the team members.
Wawanudin, a team member who attended the training, said the effective writing training inspired him to develop his research reports into other writing products that are easier to read, such as opinions and content on social media. “The report preparation training that was held yesterday contributed to providing knowledge and technical skills for me to understand that review reports can or should be developed as material to drive policy. This development can be in the form of opinions, social media posts, and other forms. The goal is to make these findings accessible to the wider community,” said Wawanudin.
Meanwhile, Eva Nurcahyani, a team member who attended the training, said that she felt helped by the training because the facilitator asked her to review the writings she had worked on while at PATTIRO. “Training participants are invited to directly work on some of the writing that has been done using the method presented by the facilitator. Moreover, the facilitator presented was very humble and cool in presenting the material,” said Eva.
