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| Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash |
What if the greatest failure of research is not that it goes unpublished, but that it goes unused?
Over time, I have come to see research differently. Research is more than gathering data or fulfilling an academic requirement. I once viewed it that way, but not anymore.
At its core, research is a deliberate pursuit of answers—an attempt to better understand the world, solve problems and generate knowledge that can improve lives. Yet for the longest time, I believed, like many students, that the journey of research ended where most projects do: submission, defence and approval.
As a university student preparing for the realities of final-year research, I viewed research as something to complete successfully, not necessarily something that could influence policies, strengthen communities or shape the way people think. Once the final page was written, I believed its purpose had been fulfilled.
My perspective on research began to change while representing Shades of Us at the SWOLE Learning Series, organised by the SWOLE Initiative in partnership with the Policy Innovation Centre (PIC) Institute.
The session, Getting Published: Navigating Peer Review and Getting Your Work Accepted, was hosted by Hanifa Babasadiq, facilitated by Dr. Temitope Olalude, a Lecturer in the Department of Economics at the University of Ibadan, and Prof. Michael Kunnuji, a Professor of the University of Lagos.
So, what happens to research after it is published?
Publishing no longer felt like the final destination. It felt like the beginning.
The Knowledge We Already Have
For many researchers, publication represents success. It validates months, sometimes years, of hard work and marks an important milestone in an academic journey, but what if publication is only the point where research finally begins to matter?
Every year, universities produce valuable research on healthcare, education, governance, climate change, youth development and countless other issues affecting society. Hidden within those pages are ideas capable of improving lives and informing better decisions.
Yet much of this knowledge never leaves academia. It remains on library shelves, in institutional repositories and inside journals, rarely reaching the policymakers, development practitioners and communities it was intended to serve.
Working with Shades of Us, I could not help drawing a parallel. We often tell stories that highlight the realities people experience every day. Listening to this session made me wonder how many of those realities have already been researched, documented, and understood, yet remain unchanged because the knowledge never reached the people capable of acting on it.
Perhaps the problem is not that society lacks solutions. Perhaps too many solutions never find society.
Publishing With Purpose
One lesson that particularly stayed with me was the importance of intentional publishing. Before attending the session, I believed choosing a journal was mostly about prestige or impact factor. I left understanding that it is equally about purpose and relevance.
The right publication is not simply the one with the highest ranking. It places research before the audience most capable of using it.
After all, even the most groundbreaking findings cannot create change if they never reach those positioned to make decisions.
The conversation around peer review also reshaped the way I think about criticism.
Like many students, I had always seen reviewers' comments as barriers standing between researchers and publication. Instead, Dr. Olalude encouraged us to see peer review as part of the process of strengthening research.
Every revision.
Every correction.
Even every rejection.
They all contribute to producing research that people can trust.
When Research Meets Communication
Another insight that stayed with me was the importance of visibility. Publishing alone does not guarantee impact. As a Strategic Communication student, I have been taught that visibility is essential to ensuring that messages reach their intended audiences.
This made me think: If research is a form of knowledge that communicates something about our world, shouldn't it also require reach to create lasting impact?
Researchers were encouraged to intentionally share their work through platforms such as Google Scholar, ResearchGate, ORCID, and LinkedIn. Until that moment, I had mostly viewed these platforms as places to build an academic profile. I now see them differently—as tools that can help research travel. They allow knowledge to move beyond journals and academic circles into conversations where it can influence professional practice, policy, and public understanding.
Research may generate evidence, but communication determines whether that evidence remains within academic circles or becomes part of society's thinking. Policymakers cannot implement research they never encounter. Communities cannot benefit from solutions they never hear about.
Knowledge only creates impact when it reaches people.
That philosophy feels remarkably similar to the work we do at Shades of Us.
Stories only matter when they are heard.
Research is no different.
Beyond Publication
Long after the session ended, one thought continued to stay with me: Research should never be measured only by the journal in which it appears. It should also be measured by the conversations it starts, the decisions it influences, the communities it strengthens, and the lives it changes.
The SWOLE Learning Series challenged the way I think about publishing, but more importantly, it challenged the way I think about responsibility.
Producing knowledge is important.
Publishing knowledge is necessary.
But ensuring that knowledge reaches the people who can transform it into action is where research fulfils its greatest purpose.
As I continue my journey with Shades of Us, I carry the same conviction into storytelling. Whether we are sharing lived experiences or communicating research, our work should not end when it is created. It should continue until it informs, empowers, and inspires change. In the end, the true value of knowledge is not found in the pages where it is written, but in the lives it can change beyond publication.
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