Although usually only being a short blurb, the research purpose and significance statement is extremely important for communicating whatever research you are conducting. For the average person, this statement allows them to understand what research you are conducting at a layman’s level. For other peers in your research field (and outside), this statement says exactly what you are focusing on, allowing your peers to better understand what and how one is conducting their research.
When talking to a general audience, I think it is always helpful to first explain my project by simplifying everything down to a level that someone in High School could understand exactly what I am talking about. The true test of knowing your project is if you can explain it to someone who does not have the slightest scientific background in a way that they can understand your methods, such as the general public. If someone has a background in research or biology, I can go into more detail, even if they are not directly in my field. Many of the techniques I use are applicable in health science research, so someone in the general field likely knows about these techniques or has done them, such as cell culturing.
Currently, I hope to either go to medical school or get a PhD in the health sciences. In medicine, it is extremely important to be able to communicate diagnoses and test results effectively to patients and family members. I would need to communicate the necessities of certain tests that need to be performed and their results in a way that my patient can understand with no medical or biology background-these would be lay people outside my field. If I delve into the world of research, I need to be able to effectively communicate what my research goals are in grants and presentations in order to get funding. To effectively communicate your goals and ideas is not something that can be done overnight-it takes years of practice and lots of failed attempts to become a stellar communicator of your research.
