Infographics and the knowledge translation framework

Abstract

Abstract The concept of Knowledge Translation (KT) can be used to narrow the gap between knowledge producers, such as researchers, and knowledge users, such as policy makers. KT is the process in which complex research and data are translated into more easily to understand understood content to support evidence-informed policy making. KT covers a wide variety of activities including knowledge dissemination, two-way exchange process between researchers and knowledge users, and communication. The nature of these activities can be classified in four models of interaction, Push, Pull, Exchange and Integration. Especially, the push model is applied when potential users are still unaware that they should be considering information on a certain topic, which is often the case for Burden of Disease (BoD) results. Next to push method as such policy briefings and health status reports, a product focusing on visualization might be more effective. A visualized product that has gained popularity is the infographic as a collection of imagery, charts, and minimal text that gives an easy-to-understand overview of a topic. Also regarding BOD, with its complex methodology and large amounts of data and information, infographics can be an efficient tool for KT. However, the use of infographics for BoD is still rather limited and could benefit from effective data visualization techniques applied in other fields within public health. Though communication through an infographic can be rather powerful, one has to be aware that the interpretation of the infographic by the receptor can also result in less-balanced messages. In this presentation, the concept of KT will be linked to visualization techniques as infographics using good and bad examples from BoD and beyond.