Introduction
The dissemination of research data plays a crucial role in whether the study’s findings will impact whale-watcher behavior. Tourism focused on whale-watching disrupts whales’ movement patterns and affects how they interact with the environment. Therefore, the researchers must select several dissemination methods that will effectively deliver the message of conservation and environmental awareness (Cunningham-Erves et al., 2021).
Strategies for Dissemination of Research Findings
Distributing Informational Flyers at Tourist Hotspots
The first potential strategy is distributing flyers to tourists in locations where they may find information about whale-watching. This method may be effective as it involves a physical copy of the data, which a person may take and reread later. Furthermore, a flyer may be a physical reminder of the issue and how it can be resolved if the tourists maintain awareness and caution when visiting whale-watching locations. Nevertheless, this method of dissemination may not be effective on its own, as it requires one to pick suitable places that interested individuals may visit. The choice of such spots determines the success of the research findings being seen by stakeholders, affecting the study’s outcomes (Cunningham‐Erves et al., 2020).
Placing Awareness Banners in Regional Airports
The second potential strategy is putting up banners at Washington and British Columbia airports for incoming fliers. In this case, all tourists arriving at these locations by plane from other states or abroad may see some information about whale-watching risks. Moreover, they may be given some helpful facts about how to approach whale-watching while protecting the environment and the whale’s behavior. A link to the published study or other related resources may be provided on the banner to invite individuals to continue learning about the issues.
However, this method is only effective for tourists who arrive by plane and pay attention to advertisements located in airports. Banners can list only some information from the study, which may be ineffective in raising awareness about all potential problems linked to whale watching. Using a link on the banner may also be inefficient, as it would require the arriving fliers to find more information by themselves.
Advertising on Tourism-Focused Media Platforms
The following two strategies are directed at individuals planning to engage in whale-watching. The third approach is to place advertisements on TV channels and websites related to tourism, such as channels with programs about travel and nature preservation and websites specializing in tourist attractions in Washington and British Columbia. The main benefit of the advertisements is that they reach the intended audience before interested persons plan to visit the area and engage in whale-watching, allowing them to plan the trip with increased awareness (Cunningham‐Erves et al., 2020). Nevertheless, TV advertisements may also have a limited impact as they are limited in time and cannot list all the information that may educate tourists.
Sharing Research Findings Through Social Media Posts
Finally, the last strategy that may help researchers disseminate data about how whale-watching can disrupt whales’ behavior is creating posts about the research findings. To raise awareness, the scholars should collaborate with stakeholders to link these posts to websites that offer information about the attraction (Cunningham‐Erves et al., 2020). In this case, the spreading of data is different from targeted advertising as it is integrated into people’s discussions about the problem, allowing people to engage in learning and access the whole study to see its results. As an outcome, people who use online forums and tourist websites will likely become aware of the concerns and be incentivized to plan their trips accordingly.
Conclusion
Overall, the combination of the strategies discussed above may be the most effective, as it would target different types of tourists.
References
Cunningham‐Erves, J., Mayo‐Gamble, T., Vaughn, Y., Hawk, J., Helms, M., Barajas, C., & Joosten, Y. (2020). Engagement of community stakeholders to develop a framework to guide research dissemination to communities. Health Expectations, 23(4), 958-968. Web.
Cunningham-Erves, J., Stewart, E., Duke, J., Akohoue, S. A., Rowen, N., Lee, O., & Miller, S. T. (2021). Training researchers in the dissemination of study results to research participants and communities. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 11(7), 1411-1419. Web.