2012 'Valorisation' by Marieke Hendriksen
As a humanities researcher, it is not always easy to explain to other people why what you do is important. It is easy for people to see why searching a cure for cancer matters, but it is a bit harder to make clear why it is also important to study language, culture, and history. One of the things that makes this easier is media attention for humanities research.
In June 2012, I had the opportunity to present my PhD project during NWO’s yearly press day, 'Bessensap' where researchers meet press. (
http://www.nwo.nl/nwohome.nsf/pages/NWOP_5VVJQK )
As financing bodies like NWO are very fond of this kind of ‘valorisation,’ so I figured that participating probably wouldn’t hurt my future hunts for research funding. I didn’t really know what to expect, but 'Bessensap' turned out to be fun. There were lots of interesting presentations, and everyone there was curious about each other’s work.
Together with two other PhD candidates I was put in a ‘master class’ in which we were each given five minutes to pitch our projects. A professional jury consisting of science journalists gave us feedback and named a ‘winner.’ To my surprise, I won and the prize turned out to be an interview with Hoe?Zo! radio (
http://www.wetenschap24.nl/programmas/hoezo-radio/Uitzendingen/2012/juni/04-06-2012-Bessensap.html).
Now, almost four months later, I can still notice the effects of 'Bessensap'. Science journalists know about the project now, and I’ve been asked to write articles for popular science magazines and websites (
http://www.kennislink.nl/publicaties/prachtige-preparaten-zijn-cultureel-erfgoed ), as a panel member in a ‘Kenniscafé,’ (
http://www.debalie.nl/artikel.jsp?articleid=462909 ) for another radio interview, and to send my thesis to the science journalists of a number of national newspapers for reviewing.
The responses from family, friends, colleagues and complete strangers to these activities were enthusiastic, and that made me think about a more permanent way to share my research outside the academy. That is why, in early September, I started a blog about my latest short-term research project on medicine chests at the National Maritime Museum in London (
http://themedicinechest.wordpress.com/ ). That project is finished now, but I have had much positive feedback about the blog, and I have noticed it also helps me to sharpen my ideas, so I will continue to fill it with weekly updates about my research.
Does this make me famous? Rich? Neither. But I discovered that it is fun to share your research with a non-specialist audience, and I hope that these activities will somehow contribute to a more public understanding and appreciation of humanities research.