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I work at a research lab. During a periodic review, the board asked us to add a press kit related to our research. I surveyed a bunch of similar projects and found a huge array of content referred to as “press kits”.

Is there best practice for what’s included in research group press kits?

Before you suggest I ask the board, I should tell you that we nodded sagely when they delivered their advice from on high and didn’t have the gall to seem unsure. Any tips appreciated! The next review is coming up!

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    I just go to our Media Relations folks to chat about what would be good for a given project. They do this all the time and know what their contacts would generally like and actually use. It is unlikely you are the first at your institution to put together a press kit on a project. Go to the professionals.
    – Jon Custer
    May 7, 2018 at 13:32
  • If your department has a Public Relations unit, it may be worthwhile asking them for advice. We recently had the PR unit in our department interview us and prepare some materials for further distribution. They did a reasonable job at translating my technical talk to everyday language.
    – Miguel
    May 13, 2018 at 11:56

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1. What is a press kit?

A press kit is usually a collection of information and resources that can be used by reporters and publishers. The idea behind a press kit is to make the reporter's job super easy. They are not experts in the field and require help translating your research approach and outcomes to something the layman reading their publication can understand.

2. Research press kit contents

Press kits usually include photos, graphs, and summaries of your work, in everyday language. It is a mini article with all the basics and explanations required for someone to take and write an accurate article on your work. The more effort you put in to clearly write your summary and link it to non expert concepts the better. The degree to which you need to simplify it heavily depends on the publication's audience, so often a few variants are produced for a press kit that is to be widely distributed.

3. Motivation

It is simple really, the more visibility your research receives the more likely it will be used, cited, or attract funding and the better it is for your university's reputation and visibility.

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