Moving Beyond Journals & Monographs: The Value of Op-Eds – May 27, 2022

Scholars use a range of media to communicate and amplify their research and findings. Writing for the public is a powerful way to disseminate research findings to the broader world, have wider impact, and reconnect with why the work you do matters. Mainstream writing does not replace journal articles or monographs, but instead complements them by helping to reach different audiences and achieve different professional goals. An Op-Ed in a national paper or mainstream outlet can get your ideas in front of more people than will ever be seen in a scholarly publication, expanding your research and impact.

This session will provide an introduction to media work for researchers, with a focus on pitching, writing, and publishing Op-Eds. It will present strategies for translating research work into opinion pieces, as well as what editors are looking for when publishing Op-Eds. You will also hear from faculty on how they started to engage with this work, and be made aware of University’s resources to support your media work.

This session is relevant to faculty across all disciplines, and at all stages of their career who want to learn more about writing op-eds and working with journalists.

Target Audience:

• Faculty Researchers in all disciplines and from all career levels
• Sessional instructors, librarians, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and staff interested in writing op-eds are also welcome to attend

Moderator: Kent Moore, Vice Principal, Research at UTM; Professor, Dept. of Physics

Panelists:

• Shoshanna Saxe, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil and Mineral Engineering; Canada Research Chair Sustainable Infrastructure
• Fahad Razak, Scientific Director, Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table; Assistant Professor, Dalla Lana School of Public Health; General Internist, St. Michael's Hospital
• Lisa Pires, Media Relations Officer, U of T Communications
• Adrian Lee, Content Editor, The Globe and Mail Opinion