The Pew Research Center’s latest poll on public trust in science for 2026 found that “77% of U.S. adults now say they have a great deal (28%) or fair amount of confidence (49%) in scientists to act in the public’s best interests.” The results are about the same as the previous year, but show a promising upward trend after declining trust rates reported since the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, as reported by NSF, public engagement in science remains low.
Since the 2010 Altmetrics Manifesto advocated for expanding how we measure impact, there’s been a growing movement within academia for scholars to broaden the impact of their work beyond citations and accelerate the flow of research from the proverbial “ivory tower” to public forums. Both of which are essential to promoting trust in science and (albeit imperfectly) advancing public research funding. Given widespread recent and proposed new funding cuts for science in the US that could have far-reaching ramifications for academic infrastructure, such efforts are arguably more critical than ever.
Publishers are, of course, integral stakeholders in raising awareness of research, and many are making great strides in helping authors translate their work for both practitioners and mainstream audiences. One example that I follow closely is RTI Press, the publishing arm of RTI International, an independent scientific research institute founded in 1958 as part of the formation of North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park. As a North Carolinian, I have a particular interest in the impacts of RTI research on local communities, such as this study linking seasonal changes to chemical pollution shifts in a Durham, NC waterway.
Recently, I reached out to Anna Wetterberg, director of RTI Press (whom I also have the pleasure of seeing at NC Triangle publishing meetups!), to ask her to share insight into how the Press collaborates with the broader RTI organization to help authors reach wider audiences and her advice for publishers looking to expand their public engagement efforts.
Below is a recap of our discussion. This post is part of Scholastica’s Community Conversations blog series, where we invite Scholastica users to share their latest publishing initiatives and advice.
Many thanks to Anna for taking the time for this interview!
Interview with Anna Wetterberg
DP: How do you think about the role of RTI Press in advancing RTI’s overall impact beyond academia?
AW: The fortunate thing for us at RTI Press is that that kind of impact is built into RTI’s mission: to improve the human condition by turning knowledge into practice. RTI has always been focused on applied research, and the Press contributes directly to that mission. Our function is to enable RTI researchers to share their work broadly through open access publications. We make those publications available in a variety of locations, including RTI’s website, the Press’ Scholastica site, project and partner websites, relevant indices, and so forth. That really helps us to disseminate our research as widely as possible.
DP: One of RTI Press’ stated goals, which I appreciate, is that the Press “strives to reach a general audience.” How do you balance publishing content to fulfill the needs of academic audiences with content geared toward broader professional and even general audiences?
AW: Instead of journals linked to a specific research audience, RTI Press produces a mix of freestanding publications in different open-access, peer-reviewed research formats. We publish a mix of research and policy briefs, reports, and books. That variety enables each of our publications to target exactly the readers who can use the information. For example, briefs are intended to summarize an area of research and then point to a research or policy agenda. Those are great for reaching broader audiences outside academia.
Additionally, we have occasional papers, which is our most flexible and popular content format. In fact, our most highly cited publication is an occasional paper on learning differences in low- and middle-income countries. It is peer-reviewed research presented in a really practical way, even including callout boxes on what teachers can do in certain situations. We offer these kinds of different publishing opportunities for authors because they know best how to reach their audiences.
In contrast, our research reports deliver specialized technical information; essentially, they are your traditional research paper, such as our recent report on pollutants in a Durham creek. The general public is by far the hardest group to reach with those types of publications. So, to connect that very wide audience with relevant findings, we really turn to a mix of engaging local media and using social media. Of course, not every publication is a public news story, but in that case, the 1,300+ chemical compounds detected in Durham waterways can have a direct impact on the local community, so the research was picked up by a number of news outlets.
DP: Can you share some examples of how RTI Press has partnered with authors to help them communicate their work in formats they believe will have the greatest impact in their field?
AW: For publications with more circumscribed audiences, we’ve had success directly asking the authors: What’s the best way to reach your audience? Oftentimes, they already have ideas on which we can creatively collaborate. For example, this publication’s authors wanted to integrate their interactive dashboard, so we found a platform to facilitate that and help readers better understand the publication. As another example, for this book drawing from a radio show, we experimented with QR codes to link each chapter with the associated episode, connecting the related media. And, again, the fact that we publish everything under an OA Creative Commons license makes a big difference, because authors can freely share their work, for instance in newsletters that go out to broader practitioner or even general audiences.
DP: What advice would you give to other publishers looking to work more closely with authors on research outreach initiatives?
AW: We take some simple steps that I’m sure others can do, as well. At intake, we ask authors questions about who they are trying to reach and who can use their work. We also offer some suggestions for sharing their work that take from five minutes (add your pub to your email profile) to much longer (organize a webinar).
For some publications, we can also do more targeted collaboration with the authors. The RTI connection helps a lot there because we benefit from the RTI newsroom and social media teams for promotion. We also often feature publications on the RTI website and blog, which is something other publishers may be able to do if they are part of or connected to a broader research organization. When authors engage with these kinds of collaborations, it can really support the promotion of their work.
While the Press is focused on RTI’s research, we have open submissions, and we are, of course, editorially independent from RTI. Many of our submissions come from a mix of RTI researchers and external authors. If you look at some of our recent pieces, you’ll see co-authors from government agencies, universities, and other research institutes across the US and the world. That brings in a lot of different perspectives and further opportunities for collaborative outreach.
DP: The NC Science Festival and Mountain Science Expo are two examples of RTI connecting researchers with the public (including kids!). How do these types of initiatives connect to your publishing program?
AW: As RTI was created as part of Research Triangle Park, we’re deeply rooted in North Carolina and local institutions here. We partner with local science and educational initiatives, such as NC Sci Fest, as part of our community affairs program. It’s, of course, a great way to raise awareness of our work, but it’s really about giving back to the community. Another example is support for the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh to sponsor special exhibitions and a microscope corner at their new Prairie Ridge Education Center. Again, this ties back to RTI’s mission. We don’t look at science as something researchers do in their labs and keep to themselves; we want it to improve the human condition, in part by interesting young people in science. Like our community affairs activities, RTI Press is about making science accessible.
DP: How do you measure public engagement with RTI Press publications — are there specific indicators or feedback loops you rely on?
AW: We of course track standard metrics like citations. We use Google Scholar citations because our publications aren’t indexed in the same way as journals. That metric also fits with what we’re trying to do. We’re not just aiming to be cited in the academic literature. We want to see broader engagement from other sources, like practitioner organizations and in policy discourse.
I will also point to Overton as an important data source for policy impact. It’s a global database of policy documents. From the policy citations listed there, we can see that our publications have had uptake not only in the US but also across Africa, Asia, and Europe. That is really helpful evidence of how our publications have been used, and it’s a great way to loop in authors to share updates with them. For example, we will reach out to authors to let them know their work was cited in congressional testimony, by a major international organization, or government agencies.
DP: Looking ahead, what opportunities do you see for mission-driven publishers to collaborate with their broader organizations to play a larger role in promoting public discourse around critical issues?
AW: At RTI Press, we’ve recently had a focus on briefs as a way to get research out to the world sooner. Briefs can be a somewhat lighter lift for authors, enabling them to communicate their work more quickly. There’s also the reality of reduced reader attention spans, and briefs offer reliable information in really nice, tangible bites that people may be more likely to absorb. Of course, RTI’s briefs are still research publications that undergo peer review.
On that point, we’re also doubling down on our commitment to research integrity, ensuring all RTI Press research is rigorously peer reviewed, even as it has become more challenging to enlist reviewers. All of our publications are subject to the highest scientific standards, which is arguably more important than ever.
Thanks again to Anna for taking the time for this interview!
Interested in reading more Scholastica community conversations? Check out our last interview with Don van Ravenzwaaij, EIC of Collabra: Psychology, about why the journal’s editors chose to transition to a transparent peer review process and the benefits for editors, authors, and reviewers.
