When I meet a researcher, I like to ask them, “Why should ordinary people be excited about your research?”
I pose this specific question to make it obvious that I’m not interested in merely learning what the research is about. I could easily Google the research topic and get a Plain Language explanation. Explanation isn’t what I’m after.
You see, if you want to mobilize knowledge, you must do more than describe your subject matter and your research methodology. You must connect with your intended knowledge users at a deep level. You must make your research resonate with your audience so that it speaks to their emotions and their values.
My question is designed, then, to get at why people outside the research community should be excited/enthusiastic/ecstatic about emerging research.
When I ask it, however, I often get a disappointing answer. Many researchers—even those who are passionate about their research—aren’t able to paint a definite picture of potential impact.
In most cases, they’ll talk about the scientific impact they foresee. For example, they’ll describe how their work advances knowledge in the field, fills in a gap, or applies a new methodology in a novel situation.
That’s when I get nosier. I probe beneath the surface of the first response using a simple but powerful method I learned while doing instructional design for a global consulting firm: The Five Whys.
Whether you’re a researcher or someone who needs to leverage research to influence others, you too can use the Five Whys to help your audience care about your research as much as you do.
A Ridiculously Simple Process that Gets Profound Results
The method was developed by Toyota to excavate root causes, and I’ve discovered that it can also work in reverse to help project an end result of pioneering research. All you do is ask an open-ended “Why?” question five times in a row, until you get an in-depth response that truly answers the original question.
Let me illustrate with a fictional example. Let’s imagine we’re speaking with Jeanine, a biochemist who has just discovered a novel way to use extreme heat therapy to change certain cellular properties.
We start with my favorite question:
WHY 1: “Jeanine, why should ordinary people get excited about the potential of your research?”
Jeanine: “Suprathermal technology is a new technology that’s been around for only about five years, and no one has previously thought to explore its effect on human cells.”
WHY 2: Why is that important?
Jeanine: “We’re only just starting to learn about how sensitive human cells are to extreme changes in temperature, and this could open up many different medical opportunities, especially in oncology.”
WHY 3: Why would that matter?
Jeanine: “Right now, doctors have a limited set of tools they can use to try to eradicate cancer cells: chemotherapy, radiation, and immunotherapy. Suprathermal technology could be another tool for oncologists.”
WHY 4: Why is that valuable?
Jeanine: “The standard tools actually have a pretty low success rate in certain cancers. Immunotherapy is an attempt to modify cancer cells, and it’s often the therapy of last resort, but in many cancers it works for only about 20% of patients. With suprathermal technology, we’re seeing a much greater ability to fine-tune treatment to the patient, much more easily than we can do that with immunology. And the success rate in the first, small clinical trial was unusually high.”
WHY 5: Why should oncologists and cancer patients be excited about that?
Jeanine: “Although we’re a long way from developing a viable human intervention, it’s possible that suprathermal technology could revolutionize cancer treatment the way chemotherapy did when it was first introduced in the 1940s.
Before chemo came along, radical surgery was the main treatment option or primitive radiation therapy. Survival rates weren’t anywhere near what they are today. In the future, it might be possible for doctors to treat tumors with suprathermal interventions, which could be less invasive, more precise, and more effective than any of the treatments available today.”
As you may have noticed, Jeanine started by describing the scientific impact of her research, but by the final WHY, she arrived at a clear, concrete description of its potential impact. With guidance from the Five Whys framework, she was able to articulate the practical difference her research could make for everyday people, without hyping her findings.
How to Apply the Five Whys to Your Research Knowledge
The Five Whys method leads a researcher along a thought-path, taking them from the data that’s right in front of them to a broader, social perspective. You too can follow this process, whether you’re conducting research or sharing research findings discovered by someone else.
The Five Whys will help clarify the value of your knowledge and get buy-in for your research-backed ideas if you’re:
- A scientist speaking with potential industry partners
- A Principal Investigator seeking your next grant
- A consultant pitching clients on an evidence-backed idea
- A not-for-profit leader advocating for policy changes
- Or a science marketer showcasing a new product
Traditionally, the Five Whys method is used with a thought partner (as I’ve demonstrated above), but you can also follow it on your own by journaling both sides of the conversation.
This week, I invite you to use the Five Whys to explore the impact of the research you’re conducting or sharing with others. Let me know what you discover!
Want help applying the Five Whys to your work? Book a free 30-minute consult. Together, we’ll get to the core of the true value you have to offer your intended audience.
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