Thanks for joining me!
“The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself.”
― Oscar Wilde
For a few years now i am dealing with science communication at the University of Copenhagen. I am not a trained scientist nor an educated communicator, but throughout the years working with scientists on increasing visibility and making it understandable and approachable, I have gained some insights which i wish to share and hopefully get feedback on.
How and why this ares became closer to my heart, why it should be discussed and even debated?
Science communication is the public communication of science-related topics to non-experts. This often involves professional scientists (called “outreach” or “popularization“), but has also evolved into a professional field in its own right. It includes science exhibitions, journalism, policy or media production. Science communication also includes communication between scientists (for instance through scientific journals), as well as between scientists and non-scientists (especially during public controversies over science and in citizen science initiatives).
(From Wikipedia)
Quick Guide
1. Know Your Audience
- The Lay Public
- The Media
- Policy Makers
- Funders
2. Know Your Message
3. Know Your Medium
when writing:
a. Use active verbs
b. Avoid jargon, euphemisms, clichés, wordplays, and puns
c. Use analogies and examples
d. Only include critical details
e. Create an outline
f. Tell a story but stay true to the facts
g. Cite your sources
Visualizing:
a. Information graphics (infographics)
b. Conceptual diagrams
c. Satellite photos
d. Maps
e. Photographs
f. Graphs
g. Tables
h. Any combination of the above in a poster, newsletter, or presentation slides
Presenting posters:
a. Remember that your title is your message
b. Be intentional in your choice of colors
c. Use high resolution visuals
d. Use supporting visuals even if your audience is scientists in your field
e. Use text to support your visuals
f. Create a handout of the poster
Speaking about Science:
a. prepare and practice
b. State your message at the beginning and end of the presentation
c. Give your audience background on your topic
d. Engage your audience through questions and dialogue
e. Explain your visuals and use them to support your presentation
f. Talk about the process, not just the results
g. Aim to use less time than you are allotted
h. Leave time for questions
i. Based on what you know about the audience, try to predict their questions and prepare
answers
Using Social Media
Blogs – Traditional, long-form online narrative. WordPress (http://wordpress.com)
and Blogger (http://blogger.com) are two of the most popular sites to offer free
blog hosting, including easy graphical interfaces for constructing posts and
changing blog layouts. If you aren’t sure if blogging is for you, or if you only have
a few posts in mind, it is reasonable (and common practice) to enquire about a
guest post on an established blog with a built-in audience.
RSS Feeds – Type of URL that allows users to automatically mine blog/website
updates without the need for a web browser. RSS aggregators such as Google
Reader are a streamlined and practical way to keep track of new and relevant
content. Aggregated RSS feeds can additionally be imported and synced with
dedicated apps; for example, MobileRSS is one useful software tool that can be
used to access Google Reader feeds on smartphones and tablet devices.
Apps – Software used on mobile devices. Apps are especially useful as mobile
social networking platforms (e.g., using Twitter, Tumblr, or Facebook apps to post
updates while attending scientific conferences), synchronized data repositories
(e.g., apps for organizing PDF libraries, address books, or RSS feeds), or as a
gateway to connecting people with nature (e.g., popular apps such as Audubon
Guides and Starwatch).
Twitter (http://twitter.com)- Social networking site that limits posts to 140
characters. Twitter is useful for in-the-moment conversations, customized news
streams, and building and maintaining communities. Devices such as hashtags, a
phrase beginning with a hash/pound sign (e.g., use #longreads when linking to
lengthy online articles), allow users to aggregate tweets according to topic. For
example, conference attendees will create a specific hashtag for a particular
event, such as #asm2012 for the General Meeting of the American Society for
Microbiology that took place in San Francisco (June 16–19, 2012). Tweets
incorporating #asm2012 became so popular during the conference that this
hashtag was listed as ‘‘trending’’ on the main Twitter homepage—a rare but
impressive feat for online scientific discussions.
Facebook (http://www.facebook.com) – The most widely used social media site.
There are divided opinions about Facebook, and researchers tend to view this site
two ways: 1) They create a public profile that may reach a different audience than
Twitter or blogs, or 2) They eschew using Facebook for research-related purposes
at all, perhaps maintaining private profiles for only their closest friends and family
(don’t get offended if they don’t accept your friend request!).
Tumblr (http://www.tumblr.com) – A microblogging site that can publish any
type of media very easily and quickly. Users post photos, videos, or short quotes
as opposed to long written narratives. Tumblr offers automatic forwarding of new
posts to Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Pinterest (http://pinterest.com) – A photo-only microblogging site where users
define themed ‘‘boards’’ for posting content (e.g., food, art, marine fish). Pinterest
is a new and emerging social media site whose user demographics are
significantly different from other portals (82% women [15]). ‘‘Pins’’ can also be
shared via Facebook and Twitter. Oregon State University’s Superfund program
maintains a Pinterest board on science communication (http://bit.ly/WbDUHd).
Storify (http://storify.com) – A way to aggregate and organize tweets, videos,
blog posts, and other media. Storify is especially useful for compiling media on
discrete discussions and preserving tweets before they become archived by
Twitter. For example, if there is a panel discussion or academic seminar, a Storify
can be created that includes live tweets from the audience, videos of the
panelists, and links to their publications, websites, and social media profiles.
Linking communities – Include Digg (http://digg.com), StumbleUpon (http://
http://www.stumbleupon.com), MetaFilter (http://www.metafilter.com), and more.
These are content aggregation sites that recommend new and interesting
content to subscribers.
(credits to Brown University)
science communication 