SCIENCETALK.ORG
  • Conferences
    • SCIENCE TALK '21 >
      • Event Page '21
      • Registration '21
      • Agenda '21
      • Speakers '21
      • FAQ '21
    • SCIENCE TALK '20 >
      • EVENT DETAILS (2020)
      • FAQ (2020)
      • Schedule (2020)
      • Posters and Artwork (2020)
      • Registration (2020)
    • SCIENCE TALK '19 >
      • Schedule (2019)
      • Presentations (2019)
      • Panels (2019)
      • Workshops (2019)
      • Photos (2019)
    • SCIENCE TALK '18 >
      • Schedule (2018)
      • Keynotes (2018)
      • Photos (2018)
    • SCIENCE TALK '17 >
      • Schedule (2017)
      • Speakers (2017)
      • Photos (2017)
      • Videos (2017)
  • Community
    • "A Science Blog" >
      • Pitching Guide
      • Blog Contributor Style Guide
    • Volunteer Openings
    • Forum
    • Ethics Policy
  • Resources
    • Communication Resources
    • Training & Courses
    • Meet the Community
  • Collaborate
    • Partnership Opportunities
    • Advisory Panel
    • Sponsors and Partners
  • About
    • Membership
    • Our Mission
    • Our History
    • Executive Board
    • Volunteers
    • Contact
Picture

This section will not be visible in live published website. Below are your current settings (click inside this section to edit the settings):


Current Number Of Columns are = 3

Expand Posts Area = 1

Gap/Space Between Posts = 10px

Blog Post Style = card

Use of custom card colors instead of default colors =

Blog Post Card Background Color = current color

Blog Post Card Shadow Color = current color

Blog Post Card Border Color = current color

Publish the website and visit your blog page to see the results

State of SciComm Within the Academic Community

11/11/2020

0 Comments

 
By Brooke N. Dulka; @IsRewriting
Brainstorming ideasImage credit: Pixy.org
“How do you engage in science communication?” This is a question I posed to a group of academics during a breakout session at the virtual meeting of the Pavlovian Society in early September. Not surprisingly, that initial question was met mostly with silence from this group of psychologists and neuroscientists. Zoom fatigue? I wondered. However, after sharing some of my own tactics, the conversation began to pick up. One researcher gave a great example of how, although they don’t do a lot of non-academic article writing, they find that engaging in science-related discussions on social media is one way to reach people outside of their academic circles. Another person brought up NerdNite, an event where researchers give short talks to a more general audience in an informal setting. 

We even completed an activity meant to simplify ideas and reduce jargon by describing your research in a sentence using words with no more than two syllables. Overall, it was a productive discussion, and before I knew it our hour was up. However, this breakout session brought to light many problems with the state of science communication within the academic community.
Scientists are indeed interested in increasing science communication and outreach.
So, while many scientists are interested in science communication, there appears to be little incentive from the larger academic community to actually engage in the activity. ​
One of the largest problems that these scientists (from trainees to senior investigators) face is support of their communication endeavors. Trainees often do not feel that their mentors support activities outside of research (although this is not always true). Early career researchers worry that by engaging in science communication they will not be taken seriously. There is also the ‘service’ aspect that e we can consider. For instance, does science communication count as service and thus increase the likelihood of being granted tenure? Will science communication be viewed favorably by funding agencies? Unfortunately, for many researchers at all stages, the answer to this question appears to be ‘no’ or, at best, ‘sometimes.’ ​​
One of the largest problems that these scientists (from trainees to senior investigators) face is support of their communication endeavors. ​
​While this seems like a bleak outlook, I believe there is -- in fact -- more than a glimmer of hope on the horizon. This was particularly evident during the Pavlovian Society’s breakout session. We brainstormed ways that we can all, despite the obstacles, become more involved in science communication. Here are our top 3 approaches: First, we talked about how we can be agents of change within our own universities to increase science communication and outreach locally, for instance, if your university doesn’t already participate in outreach events such as Brain Awareness Week be the person who starts it!. Second, we shared resources to learn more, such as The Open Notebook, and get more involved, such as with Skype a Scientist. Finally, we discussed how we can be more active on social media; for instance, when misinformation presents itself on platforms such as Facebook -- we can speak up and help inform our family and friends about critical scientific topics such as climate change, vaccinations, and COVID-19.
Three ways to break obstacles to science communication
Image credit: Christina Swords
If we all take these steps we can, as a collective, affect great change within our communities. Be the change you want to see within academia and the world so that we, as scientists and communicators, can increase public trust in science and inspire the next generation to do the same.

Brooke Dulka
About the Author: Brooke N. Dulka
Brooke N. Dulka, PhD, is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she studies memory. She is also an avid science writer and editor. In her free time, Brooke likes to drink tea and read science fiction. Follow her on Twitter @IsRewriting!

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Categories

    All
    Discussion
    Diversity Equity & Inclusion
    From The President's Desk
    Multimedia
    Personal Narratives
    Profiles
    SciComm
    Science Talk News
    Speaking
    Writing

    Pitch & Contribute

    Do you have something to say about science communication and looking for a good forum?

    ​Email blog@sciencetalk.org with your pitch and we'll discuss the details.

    A Science Blog
    Co-editors

    Picture
    Christina M. Swords (she/her)
    @cmarvin67
    ​​
    Picture
    Amy R Nippert
    (she/her)
    @nipper_r

    Contact us at blog@sciencetalk.org

    RSS Feed

    Archives

    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017

Picture
​Science Talk is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. We are a volunteer-run organization and depend entirely on donors and sponsors for operational support. If you value science communication and would like to make sure decisions are made based on the value of science, please consider donating today.
© Copyright 2016. All Rights Reserved.
  • Conferences
    • SCIENCE TALK '21 >
      • Event Page '21
      • Registration '21
      • Agenda '21
      • Speakers '21
      • FAQ '21
    • SCIENCE TALK '20 >
      • EVENT DETAILS (2020)
      • FAQ (2020)
      • Schedule (2020)
      • Posters and Artwork (2020)
      • Registration (2020)
    • SCIENCE TALK '19 >
      • Schedule (2019)
      • Presentations (2019)
      • Panels (2019)
      • Workshops (2019)
      • Photos (2019)
    • SCIENCE TALK '18 >
      • Schedule (2018)
      • Keynotes (2018)
      • Photos (2018)
    • SCIENCE TALK '17 >
      • Schedule (2017)
      • Speakers (2017)
      • Photos (2017)
      • Videos (2017)
  • Community
    • "A Science Blog" >
      • Pitching Guide
      • Blog Contributor Style Guide
    • Volunteer Openings
    • Forum
    • Ethics Policy
  • Resources
    • Communication Resources
    • Training & Courses
    • Meet the Community
  • Collaborate
    • Partnership Opportunities
    • Advisory Panel
    • Sponsors and Partners
  • About
    • Membership
    • Our Mission
    • Our History
    • Executive Board
    • Volunteers
    • Contact