New website makes it easy for journalists to gain access to research on a broad array of subjects

The Rural Blog often reports on new scientific studies, but journalists usually aren't ready to write a story about the subject of the latest study, and there are often several other studies to consider. Now there is an easy way to search for studies on a topic or issue, and it's designed for journalists.

Journalist’s Resource is designed to "make scholarly research more accessible for journalists, journalism educators and students," writes Alex Jones, director of the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy in the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. "Our objective is to encourage journalists to utilize high-quality scholarship in their daily reporting, and we intend for the site to make that as easy as possible." Jones and his brothers publish community newspapers in East Tennessee and he is on the advisory board of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues.

Researchers delve into an almost infinite array of topics, many relating to everyday matters of broad concern. For example, here's a study on the risks of brain injuries for high-school football players. In addition to a searchable database, the site has articles on research references and journalism skills. To learn more, click here.