Moving from why we communicate to improving how we do it
Planning on teaching a course about scientific writing next semester? But, you haven’t finalized your syllabus yet? Ecologist Stephen Heard (@scientistseessquirrel) invites you to use his scientific writing course syllabus! He also wrote a book – The Scientist’s Guide to Writing – that is a useful companion to the syllabus.
This week, Diogo Veríssimo updates his responses to the #MySciComm questions!
Diogo is a biologist turned scientist turned marketer! He decided that he could have the cake and eat it, and so focused his research on the fledgling field of conservation marketing, the use of marketing theory and techniques to help promoted biodiversity-friendly behaviors. He is currently an Oxford Martin Fellow, based at the University of Oxford, UK, working primarily on the design and evaluation of behaviour change interventions focused on the illegal wildlife trade. Connect with him online at www.diogoverissimo.com and @verissimodiogo.
————————-
Everyone likes a good story.
Read more about #MySciComm: Diogo Veríssimo on how to market good news about the natural word …
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 America’s Journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, while simultaneously working as a web designer/editor/writer for the Refugia Research Coalition, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey. Connect with Tatiana on her online portfolio and @EcologistSays.
The #MySciComm series features a host of SciComm professionals. We’re looking for more contributors, so please get in touch if you’d like to write a post!
————————-
I always knew I wanted to be a scientist, I just didn’t know what kind.
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 youRead more about Resource of the Week: Academia just one of many routes for scientists (a graphic)[…]
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 citesRead more about Resource of the Week: The science supporting work-life balance and declining productivity after 40 hours/week[…]
“If you have become frustrated, as I have, with the lack of action and public support of climate change research and proactive policy, this book will be an eye opener.” ~S. Burke
I am a fourth year PhD student at the University of New Hampshire studying the effects of climate change on small ponds in the subarctic. My interest in science communication has grown out of my love for my work and my eagerness to help inspire the next generation of scientists. I believe it is imperative that we as scientists fully understand our responsibility to connect with our audience and communicate our work and its importance as clearly as possible.
If you have become frustrated, as I have, with the lack of action and public support of climate change research and proactive policy, this book will be an eye opener. Though not necessarily a step-by-step guide to becoming a better communicator, this book will encourage you to stop and think about your own communication style and the styles of those around you. Dr. Olson has an unsympathetic view of scientist-communicators, blaming them (us!) for why the public doesn’t believe more strongly in climate change. He believes that scientists are too cerebral, too caught up in the details and nuances of their science, to communicate their messages effectively to the public.
While I don’t believe that all of the blame lies with us, the scientists, I do think it is important to understand how we can be part of the problem. In an age where people have so many options for entertainment and learning, we need to be able to hold their attention long enough to get our message across. Read more about SciComm Lit Review: Sophia Burke reviews “Don’t Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style” …
This week, Dr. David Shiffman responds to the #MySciComm questions!
*Editor’s note: David is available Wednesday, August 29, 2018 (the date of publication) to answer questions you may have about what it’s like to be a science communicator, how he got into it, and sharks, of course! Connect with him in the comments, or on Twitter and Facebook (use #MySciComm so he sees it).
Dr. David Shiffman is a Liber Ero Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Conservation Biology at Simon Fraser University, where he studies the conservation and management of sharks. He has been interviewed for over 200 mainstream media articles, and has bylines with the Washington Post, Scientific American, Slate, Gizmodo, and more. He is also an award-winning public educator who has used social media to answer thousands of people’s questions about sharks, and has taught over 500 scientists how to use social media to communicate their research to the public. Connect with him on twitter @WhySharksMatter and Facebook.
The #MySciComm series features a host of SciComm professionals. We’re looking for more contributors, so please get in touch if you’d like to write a post!
————————-
SHARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRK!
This week, Becky Barak responds to the #MySciComm questions! Becky is a co-founder of Plant Love Stories, which we will be featuring at the Communication and Engagement Section’s booth* during ESA 2018! Please visit us to share your Plant Love Story! Read more about #MySciComm: Becky Barak on how Teaching High School and Loving Plants led to a Research Career …
Retrospective by Jennifer Purrenhage, series co-editor and Communication and Engagement Section secretary
Bethann Garramon Merkle’s recent #MySciComm 2017 Year in Review highlighted takeaways from our 2017 contributors on building human connections through scicomm.
As I looked back on the 2017 #MySciComm contributions, an additional set of theme emerged from our contributors. They offered advice and encouragement for those of us looking to either up our communication and engagement game or transition from an existing career path or position into a scicomm position.
1. Start Now.
You might imagine countless reasons for waiting, or perceived obstacles to getting started in scicomm. But our 2017 #MySciComm contributors reminded us of the importance of starting now and starting where you are.
Katie Burke warned that she often gives the advice ‘Start Writing,’ but that people rarely act on it. Katie linked to online resources that can help scicommers pitch their writing to media outlets that she says are ‘hungry for content.’ Katie Burke and Kristina Young both encouraged us to ‘make the time’ to create content because there will never be a perfect time. And they suggested that it likely won’t take as long as we worry it will. Will Chen and I (Jennifer Purrenhage) urged aspiring scicommers to stop aspiring and just start being science communicators. Will suggested creating an example of your particular kind of scicomm and then testing it with family, friends, or even an online community. I reminded readers that there are opportunities to practice and do scicomm in our existing positions — we don’t necessarily need to be somewhere or someone else to get started (and, in fact, we may have already started without realizing it!). Finally, Virginia Schutte offered a different, and valuable, perspective on ‘getting started’ when she discussed what it can be like to get on the job market for a scicomm position before you feel ready. Read more about Inspiration and Encouragement for New and Potential SciComm-ers: #MySciComm 2017 in Review …
Excerpt from the SciFund classes web page detailing the free and not-free options they offer: “Interested in getting ahead in your scientific career? Interested in engaging the wider world with your research? Better communication is the key for both and SciFund Challenge has the classes that can help you to achieve your goals. SciFund ChallengeRead more about Resource of the Week: SciComm Training Resources from SciFund Challenge[…]