title: Research to reality: moving evidence into practice through an online community of practice.
abstract: How can a community of practice help further the practical application of cancer control research? In 2011, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) launched an online community of practice, Research to Reality (R2R). R2R aims to infuse evidence-based strategies into communities by engaging researchers and practitioners in a joint approach to research dissemination. To measure community growth and engagement, NCI measures data across 3 program domains: content, interaction, and activity. NCI uses Web analytics, usability testing, and content analyses to manage and evaluate R2R. As of December 2013, R2R had more than 1,700 registered members. More than 500 researchers and practitioners register for the monthly cyber-seminars, and 40% return each month. R2R hosts more than 15,500 page views and 5,000 site visits in an average month. This article describes the process of convening this online community and quantifies our experiences to date.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, 9609 Medical Center Dr, Room 4E444, Bethesda, MD 20892. E-mail: farrellm@mail.nih.gov.
authors.forename: Margaret M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Madeline
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: La Porta
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Alissa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vinson
authors.affiliation: ICF International, Fairfax, Virginia.
authors.forename: Sarah Bruce
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Bernal
mesh_terms: D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods*; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D054547:National Cancer Institute (U.S.); D012108:Research Personnel; D018581:Technology Transfer; D014481:United States