'Translating scholarship into practice': An alternative metaphor

Abstract

Excerpt: Effectively translating scholarship can help people solve social problems. We may contribute to alleviating obstacles and dilemmas that people face. We may enhance the lives of others if communication scholars become translators of their own work or encourage others to function as transporters. Although we may initially concern ourselves with contributions that the communication discipline brings to the everyday world, this is a two-wy street. Not only might others benefit, but the discipline also stands to gain heartily from this investment. Showing how communication contributes to improve our understanding of the mundane and traumatic gives the discipline credibility in a wider arena. ... Through translation, we are able to preserve the integrity of the research and theory because it bridges knowledge production with knowledge utilization. Translating means that we take the knowledge discovered through research or theory and interpret it for everyday use.