Let’s be honest, I love research. Especially when it underscores and validates what I already, in my heart, know to be true. I also love research that opens up my eyes to something I had never considered before. That feeling of shock (I had no idea!), is fun and makes my brain light up.

Using research in your facilitation is also important because it can help participants understand the why. As in, this is why we are proposing this solution. Or this is why we are encouraging you to try this strategy.

So, of course, the question becomes, how do you integrate research into your workshops and meetings in a way that helps participants feel inspired and motivated by what is being shared? Here are a couple of suggestions to get you started:

• Choose the right research. It may seem obvious, but choosing research that is not quite in line with the point you are trying to make can do more damage than good, as it can confuse participants. Look at a couple of different pieces of research on the topic you will be covering to make sure you have found the most relevant one.

• Make sure the research you are bringing is valid and from a trusted source. This should go without saying, but there is a lot of junk out there, especially on the internet. Just because someone had an experience of something (I’m looking at you Ted Talks*), doesn’t mean it’s universally true. Sometimes older research has been disproven, or added to. Look for research from universities, or that has been published in established academic publications. In short, do a little research about your research.   

• Consider the format. I have used direct pages from published research, but sometimes using a newspaper or magazine article about the research is easier to digest, as the key points are usually distilled and it may be written in less obtuse academic language. You can also often find videos of researchers talking about their work. These clips can be a great way to introduce your participants to both the research and the researcher.

• Plan how participants will engage with the information. To make the use of research transformational, you will need to think creatively about how you are introducing it. For ideas on how to do this, see this post.  

• Encourage participants to find and bring in related research. Not only is this transformative in that participants are contributing to the content of the engagement, it is a chance for you and your group to synthesize the material and the topic you are covering; If they research they bring in adds to the body of knowledge – then you know people are on the right track. If the research they bring in is off-topic or irrelevant, then you know you need to do more work to clarify your point.

Try bringing some research into your next meeting or workshop and notice what it does for your group!

* There is certainly a welcomed place for a Ted Talk video clip when you are facilitating, just be mindful of the difference between personal testimony and research.