How do you tell the story of research? IPS Africa is exploring multimedia platforms to translate research findings into human interest stories in an effort to find innovative ways to expose pioneering studies on the continent.

“Changing Lives: Making Research Real” is an IPS Africa project that seeks to convey research findings in ways that enliven and inform the debate and public participation in policy. The research studies are presented online on the IPS Africa project page through stories and columns for print, video interviews, slideshows and sound for radio.

One such story, "Stepping Stones Across the Desert" from Egypt, reviews research from a 2006 American University in Cairo (AUC) study entitled "Who asked them anyway? Rights, policies and well-being of refugees in Egypt", which found that a growing refugee population coupled with limited possibilities for securing adequate living conditions in Egypt made resettlement to a third country a desired solution for refugees. The story is accompanied by a short radio feature that presents the voices of the refugees directly.

“IPS Africa’s mandate is to be a voice for the voiceless. The refugee story cannot be told without the voices of those most impacted by the policies of the host country,” said IPS Regional Editor, Terna Gyuse. “By using the voices of refugees, we are able to extend the value of the story beyond the print media to radio, which remains a vital source of information for most Africans.”

Research columns are presented for print publication with accompanying slideshows or videos and MP3 podcasts.

IPS Research Editor Kathryn Strachan said the stories covered a broad range of issues: “We have found a wealth of research on the continent that has received limited attention from the public and from policymakers who could use this research to inform their decisions. By highlighting the research through these various platforms, we hope to interest readers and encourage other media to seek out research that is happening in their areas and, in this way, find stories that are compelling and which offer solutions,” said Strachan.

“Changing Lives: Making Research Real” is done in partnership with www.research4development.info, and is funded by the UK government"s Department for International Development (DFID).

Stories on the site cover a range of topics including health, politics, entrepreneurship, agriculture and development.

For more information, contact IPS Regional Director Paula Fray at [email protected].