Dissemination of research results is an obligation and an opportunity.

Social Research no matter how innovative it turns out to be, will not be of any value if it does not contribute to improved livelihoods. Researchers need to disseminate their findings in an appropriate and timely manner. 

They need to go beyond the classical research dissemination avenues - journals – to get the information closer to the public. Besides there is need for retraining of the researchers and community development workers on research dissemination.

Since research relies heavily on funding from donors, the idea of dissemination should ideally originate from the zeniths of research – the donors. Calls for proposals by the donors should embed a dissemination plan requirement. The dissemination plan should clearly outline the value of the research to the target population with outlines of resources and time frames to be dedicated towards the dissemination.

Academic life has thrived on the undertaking and publishing of research results with seldom any emphasizes given to the application of the research results. There is a need for a paradigm shift towards the evaluation of academe along its contribution to the welfare state. Universities should be encouraged to actively work with communities and service providers in an effort to affect their activities. Besides the peer reviews of articles within the journal cycles, scholars should be able to actively participate in community forums and effectively design tools to reach lay peoples with their research results. 

Effective dissemination of relevant research results depends on many factors. It is often difficult to clearly understand the causes for either success or failure in the adoption of research findings. Failure in adoption of research results may either be related to consumer’s ability to adapt the innovation or the fault of the dissemination avenue. Most of the researches undertaken within the rural communities; focus on the institutional factors that hinder the dissemination of research findings. There is a need to refocus efforts towards establishing the community based barriers that may hinder the dissemination of research findings.