Janet is an experienced communications researcher with a passion for government and sustainability communications. She is especially skilled in quantitative research methods. As a former spokesperson and consultant, she knows communications practice.
Communication can be a powerful tool to influence behaviour. However, communicating effectively is not easy. To really convince people and then also encourage them to change their behaviour, communication has to meet many conditions. I love the challenge of working with organisations to find communication that works. I prefer to do this with organisations that serve a social purpose: from clothing companies that want to sell sustainable clothing to municipalities that want to inform residents as well as possible.
To research effective communication, I prefer to use quantitative methods such as surveys and content analysis. Although I prefer data, I also enjoy talking to people to better understand survey answers. I like to turn the knowledge we gain in this way into advice that really helps organisations. Based on my experience as a (communication) consultant, I like to think along with organisations about how they can achieve their goals through communication.
Communication in a social context is a common thread in my life. I spent ten years researching government and political communication and wrote a PhD thesis on the influence of news on voting behaviour. I then made the switch to communication practice and started working as a spokesperson and (communication) advisor in the Dutch national government. At Thomas More Research, I combine the best of two worlds: solid research and communication practice.