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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon State University's top-rated online education program has launched a weekly podcast, "Research in Action," to address topics and issues facing researchers across the nation.

"Research in Action" features interviews with experts across a range of disciplines who share their expertise on qualitative, quantitative and mixed research methods. Guests also discuss their personal experiences as researchers; research and writing practices; organizational and productivity strategies; and more. 

"The goal of the podcast is to do two things - increase research literacy and build community among researchers," said Katie Linder, podcast host and research director at Oregon State Ecampus, a national leader in online education.

"Many episodes are focused on helping people understand a particular method or kind of role a researcher might have, while other episodes are meant to break researchers out of isolation and allow them to continue training in new methods or try new skills." 

With more than 40 undergraduate and graduate degrees, OSU Ecampus is currently ranked seventh out of nearly 300 higher education institutions in the category of Best Online Bachelor's Programs by U.S. News and World Report.

Available on iTunes, SoundCloud and Stitcher, the "Research in Action" podcast features occasional solo episodes with Linder that focus on practical topics, such as organizing research and juggling multiple projects, and are designed for listeners to reflect on their own experiences. 

The podcast is primarily designed for those conducting research in higher education, those who teach research methods and for undergraduate and graduate students who are considering a career involving research. However, with a variety of both broad and niche topics, the podcast also offers value for anyone with a desire to learn more about the scientific process and research conducted at universities.

"We are here to provide practical advice that people could put into practice immediately to impact their research," Linder said. "My hope is that anyone who has an interest in learning more, or engaging with those who are conducting research in higher education will listen because there is a little bit of something for everyone." 

In addition to featuring guests from across the country, the podcast is uniquely positioned to engage with OSU experts conducting research around the world through Oregon State's land, sea, sun and space grant status.

"No researcher has all of the skills or expertise, and it's incredibly valuable to have researchers come in with a diverse range of experiences and talk about these niche areas," Linder said. 

The podcast features a dynamic website, which includes audio downloads, episode transcriptions, show notes and resources, an episode guide and more.

Listeners can engage with the podcast via email, on Twitter, through the comments and suggestions boxes, and by calling in to the voicemail line. 

"Research in Action" has already published four episodes and has received more than 500 downloads. Over a dozen guests have been pre-recorded and more than 10 episodes are in production.

Upcoming "Research in Action" episodes include: 

• Jim Kroll, Office of the Inspector General, National Science Foundation, discussing research misconduct.
• Nina Huntemann, researcher at edX, learning new research skills at mid-career.
• Joshua Weller, psychology researcher from OSU, discussing psychometrics.