Australia Reads is excited to be supporting Creative Australia and BehaviourWorks Australia with a new research report looking at effective tools the sector can adopt to get more Australians reading.
Building on the findings of our recent Understanding Australian Readers report, this new project will provide in-depth message testing with Australian adults, to advise on the most effective reader engagement strategies for the industry.
The Understanding Australian Readers report was the first research project to apply a behavioural science lens to recreational reading.
It found that around half of Australians want to read more, but experience a wide and significant range of behavioural barriers to engaging with reading.
Drawing on behavioural science, the report recommended a range of interventions, messaging and strategies that could be employed by the industry to tackle these barriers, and make it easier for Australians to read for pleasure.
This new research project takes the ‘next step’ in testing these interventions on readers and potential readers and identifying the most effective tools that the industry can use to drive engagement with books and reading.
The new research aims to:
- Understand how it can be made easier for Australians to prioritise reading in their everyday lives.
- Test different messaging and behavioural change strategies to identify which types of interventions are most effective for changing reading habits within the four prioritised segments (Aspirational, Ambivalent, Engaged, Lapsed Readers)
- Identify the most effective interventions to increase reading frequency among Australians.
This research will be used to inform the development of programs considered by the newly-announced Writing Australia Council. Full findings are expected to be delivered in October 2025.
Australia Reads looks forward to working with the research teams at BehaviourWorks Australia and Creative Australia to support the delivery of this research, and continue to communicate the report’s findings to the literary industry.