Which are the most and least popular methods?
These methods are used by 80%+ of respondents:
- Presentation of services to groups of Members
- Engagement of the service with wider research & professional networks
- Promotional emails – newsletters, adverts etc
- Research products published/accessible externally
- Provides parliamentary strengthening support to other parliaments
- Intranet site/pages dedicated to the research service
- Presentation of the service to Members individually, interviews with Members
- International cooperation with other research services, engagement with international professional bodies
These methods are used by less than 33% of respondents:
- Promotional videos
- Promotional gadgets, clothing, bags etc
- ‘Open Day’ or ‘Research week’ events
- Advisory board with Members, or similar advisory body
- Promotional audio clips, podcasts
The popular methods are not necessarily ranked highly for effectiveness, however. The responses were looked at in more detail to identify methods that were both widely used and credited with some effect on the profile of the service.
Ranking of methods by popularity + effectiveness
The various methods can be ranked according to their assessed effectiveness. Responses were scored 3 for ‘Highly effective’, 2 for ‘Moderate’, 1 for ‘Little or no impact’ and 0 for ‘Difficult to know’ or ‘Not in use’. This is one way to access the (presumed) wisdom of the crowd, as the result is affected by both the popularity of a method and its assessed effectiveness. Methods at the top of this ranking are widely used and are seen by many as contributing something to raising the profile of the service. Four of the top five methods, and six in total of the ten, concern some form of personal contact with Members or their staff. Three refer to internal and external publication of products and service information, and two refer to wider engagement by the service. Promotion of the service by emails, leaflets, display of products, websites with information and products – these are typically the first thought in ‘profile-raising’. They are indeed widely used and are seen as having some effect – but are not assessed the best solution. The two on wider engagement by the service are the least obvious for a ‘top ten’ and so perhaps the most interesting. A service engaging in wider professional networks and international cooperation is not directly promoting itself in-house, yet a number of respondents recognise such engagement as a fairly effective way to raise their profile.
The top ten by popularity + effectiveness
- Presentation of services to groups of Members
- Presentation of the service to Members individually, interviews with Members
- Promotional emails – newsletters, adverts etc
- Training/induction for staff of Members in how to use the research service, benefits of research
- Personal meeting with Member when they request research
- Research products published/accessible externally
- Training/induction for Members in how to use the research service, benefits of research
- Engagement of the service with wider research & professional networks
- International cooperation with other research services, engagement with international professional bodies
- Intranet site/pages dedicated to the research service
Next in ‘Raising the Profile’:
Results in detail. Part 4 – methods identified as effective
All posts on ‘Raising the Profile’
Respondents comments on methods
2 thoughts on “‘Raising the profile’ / 3. The most popular methods”