Op-Eds are one of the single most powerful tools for translating research into real-world impact.

Conceptually, they’re quite simple: Pick an argument, make sure it’s interesting and timely, gather the most compelling evidence you’ve got to support it, and write it up in about 750 words.

To be sure, global health institutions possess an immense trove of critical knowledge and capabilities. But they don’t typically have intimate knowledge of how environmental, social, and cultural factors impact people’s health at the community level, where all implementation happens.

This is where Radical Listening comes in.

Publishing output is a dominant factor in researchers’ day-to-day livelihoods, affecting their ability to gain and retain employment, qualify for promotion, and attract the funding to carry out their work. “Publish or perish” culture has become entrenched—so much so that software marketed to help researchers present their best case for tenure or promotion is called, literally, Publish or Perish.