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Science Media Centre of Canada logo - a red rectangle inside of which is a thin white rectangular line. Inside that, another red rectangle features the letters SMC in circles, followed by a fourth circle featuring the Canadian maple leaf icon. Underneath is the full name of the SMCC. To the right, in the other half of the rectangle, the letters C - maple leaf - SM and Centre Canadien Science et Médias reflects the bilingual nature of Canada

Resource of the Week: Science Media Centre of Canada’s tips for interacting with journalists and the media

“The Science Media Centre of Canada is a registered charitable organization that supports journalists writing about the sciences, engineering and technology.” The Science Media Centre of Canada will: work with you to help your research reach journalists list your research in an embargo-controlled weekly newsletter tailored for journalists teach workshops for you share its free resources on how to effectively interact…

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Resource of the Week: Art = Opportunity (research-based talking points with citations)

If you are working in, interested in, and/or supportive of art-science integration, this extensive list of citations curated by Art = Opportunity may be useful for your project justification, fundraising efforts, etc. Excerpt from the Art = Opportunity project website: “ART=OPPORTUNITY is a campaign started in San Diego County, funded by a grant from the Stuart Foundation, and highlighting arts…

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#MySciComm: Tatiana Eaves on making the jump from science to science writing and editing

This week, Tatiana Eaves responds to the #MySciComm questions!  Tatiana is a biologist, photographer, and freelance science writer living in the Washington D.C. metro area. She received her undergraduate degree in Biology, with a concentration on ecology and evolution, from Appalachian State University and minored in Geographic Information Systems. She currently writes for Ricochet Science and the Ecological Society of…

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Screenshot of paper, highlighting rule number one, which is "You don't have to be good at art."

Resource of the Week: 10 (ten) simple rules for drawing scientific comics

Excerpt from the paper Ten simple rules for drawing scientific comics: There are few scientists who haven’t heard of Randall Munroe, the artist behind the web comic “xkcd,” which features amazing graphic explanations on everything from climate change to data storage. These comics are widely appealing to a diverse audience and are posted on walls in laboratories and pubs alike. The ideas…

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screen shot of a graphic displaying many careers that scientists have today, in sectors including policy, writing, education, medicine, science, art, engineering, law, and business.

Resource of the Week: Academia just one of many routes for scientists (a graphic)

In the wake of #ImmodestWomen and other discussions about non-academic careers* pursued by those trained in the sciences comes a new graphic from the American Geosciences Institute. It is a timely and useful illustration of the many ways that science training can be, and is, a powerful component of careers in many sectors. Where do you fit on this inter-locking wheel?…

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screen shot of several tweets discussing work-life balance. All text of these tweets is available at the link provided in the post accompanying this image.

Resource of the Week: The science supporting work-life balance and declining productivity after 40 hours/week

  Science communication and engagement, whether they are a full-time job or part of a job with additional responsibilities, take a lot of time to do well. So, Dr. Katie Grogan’s tweet thread about work-life balance and productivity which declines after working 50+ hours per week caught our attention. Throughout the thread, Dr. Grogan cites and links to articles from Nature,…

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Resource of the Week: Neurocomic (visual scicomm, inspiration)

Image: screenshot from the book’s website Looking for inspiration for how to communicate about the complex topics you study or work to share? We recently came across a graphic novel that might give you ideas. From the publisher: “Do you know what your brain is made of? How does memory function? What is a neuron and how does it work?…

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Resource of the Week: “Rapid Ecology” blog (resource & publishing opportunity)

Image: screenshot from the submission guidelines page From Rapid Ecology’s About page:  “Why Rapid Ecology? Science community blogs are often driving the conversation among ecologists, yet most of us do not have access to publishing in blogs. The visibility of a major blog shouldn’t be a resource limited to a small number of people. If you have something to say, and you’d like…

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Resource of the Week: The Dangers Of Hidden Jargon In Communicating Science

Image: screenshot from the article Excerpt from the article: “…the most dangerous kind of jargon isn’t the kind we notice. It’s the kind that slips by. When technical definitions hide behind words we use in everyday speech, the opportunities for miscommunication abound. The expert thinks she has been clear; the recipient thinks he has understood. And yet, both could be…

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Resource of the Week: “This article won’t change your mind and the facts on why facts alone can’t fight false beliefs”

Image: screenshot from the article Listen to the audio version This article delves into scientific explanations for the truth in this quotation (in the article): “A man with a conviction is a hard man to change,” [Leon] Festinger, Henry Riecken, and Stanley Schacter wrote in When Prophecy Fails, their 1957 book about this study. “Tell him you disagree and he turns away….

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Resource of the Week: Paper about using Twitter to increase student engagement in an undergraduate field biology course

Abstract:  Twitter is a cold medium that allows users to deliver content-rich but small packets of information to other users, and provides an opportunity for active and collaborative communication. In an education setting, this social media tool has potential to increase active learning opportunities, and increase student engagement with course content. The effects of Twitter on learning dynamics was tested…

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Resource of the Week: COMPASS on “How to Build Better Presentations”

Image: screenshot from the article COMPASS‘s mission is: “to help scientists effectively share their knowledge in the public discourse and decision-making. We provide practical support for scientists to engage without compromising the accuracy of their science.” In addition to the trainings they offer, they also suggest resources, such as this list of suggestions on “How To: Build Better Presentations.” As…

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Resource of the Week: Targeting messages for your conference audience

Image: screenshot from the article Looking ahead to #ESA2018, we thought this resource might be handy! From the article: “…whether you have a town meeting, a public talk, or an upcoming event […] you still don’t have to default to the ‘general public!’ What do you know about the kind of audience the organizers are trying to reach?  What kind of…

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Resource of the Week: When is science newsworthy?

The American Geophysical Union has a pile of great resources for interacting with the media. Two we’re highlighting today are focused on helping you discern whether the science story idea you have is newsworthy. These tips apply whether you are trying to get press coverage or wanting to write about your own science. Description on YouTube: “What makes a good…

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Resource of the Week: Free, 5-episode online series for scientists writing blogs, op-eds, etc.

Image: screenshot from the article Share Your Science: Resources for Blogging and Op-Eds for Magazines, Newspapers and More Scientific American and the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University have launched a free, 5-episode, online series aimed at helping scientists and engineers write blogs and op-eds for magazines, newspapers and other news outlets. Browse the live-streamed public…

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