Communication is Key: Why Scientists Need to Master Science Communication
By Katelynn Shimanski
In my final year as an undergraduate student at MSU, Mankato, my world revolved around science communication. Prior to this, I had been exposed to science communication through psychology and communication sciences and disorders coursework in the process of earning my degree, and honestly, I thought I was pretty good at it. However, I didn’t realize how much more I had to learn until this year. In taking Communicating Psychological Science, as well as becoming the Psychology Department’s Communication Intern, I’ve been able to improve my communication skills and learn why developing these skills is so important. As an advocate for this issue, it’s only fair that I share this newfound knowledge with you.
Psychologists and other science researchers are constantly communicating. Between writing papers and presenting their findings, you would think that every researcher is an effective communicator, however, this isn’t the case. Many researchers have never been trained in communication, and thus, lack the skills to effectively communicate with the public. In addition, some researchers have not adapted to the changing times. While it may seem obvious that one of the best ways to reach the public is by posting your research to social media for one of Twitter’s 200 million or Facebook’s 500-million-plus users to view, many researchers are not taking advantage of this (Van-Eperen & Marincola, 2011). If this is you, keep reading, I’ll have you tweeting by the end of this blog post.
Many scientists are only trained to communicate with other scientists. The more expertise they gain, the more removed they become from the general population. Scientists should know that their research message doesn't need to change, but the language that is used to communicate it does. While it may not seem so, developing the skills to communicate science at a level the general public can understand is difficult, and as such, takes a lot of practice. Even discerning the difference between technical and everyday language can be difficult.
Unfortunately, most scientists do not receive training in science communication to the public (Brownell et al., 2013). Learning science communication skills is tremendously important. In the past, researchers have relied on science journalism to spread information, and while it has its place, science journalism can oversimplify research to the point that the message is obscured or even completely incorrect. This is worrisome, as the public relies on science to make informed decisions. Poor communication between scientists and the public leads to misunderstanding and mistrust, and can influence governmental decision-making in regard to science policy and funding. Scientists are the direct line of communication and have knowledge that can counter misconceptions (Brownell et al., 2013).
In the past few decades, one of the most significant technological developments has been the Internet, which has allowed for knowledge and research to be shared around the world. In the age of Google, searching the Internet is the standard approach members of the public take to discover information. However, a lack of online presence among the scientific community means that misinformation appears before credible research. In using social media as a tool for knowledge sharing, researchers are able to reach a wider audience and prevent the spread of misinformation by eliminating the need for a third party, such as the media, to inform the public. One study showed that highly tweeted journal articles were 11 times more likely to be cited versus articles without strong social media coverage (Bik & Goldstein, 2013) (Côté & Darling, 2020). In another study on site traffic for the website Science of Soccer Online, the researcher found that a Facebook fan page designed to promote soccer-related research was more effective in generating readers than any of the other referring sites (Williams, 2011).
How can you expand your audience on social media? Research has suggested that when using Twitter, the primary medium used by scientists, there are a few practices researchers should follow. First, tweets that contain hyperlinks and hashtags are more likely to be retweeted. Second, the more you tweet, the more your audience will grow. Research has suggested that scientists who have fewer than 1000 followers are primarily followed by other scientists. Beyond this point, scientists began to reach a more varied audience with the majority of followers being non-scientists. Finally, leave the jargon behind and make your message matter to your intended audience (Côté & Darling, 2020).
The ability to communicate science is a learned skill. Unfortunately, it is also a skill that many scientists are never taught. Now more than ever, scientists need to bridge the gap between themselves and the public. Doing this helps stop the spread of misinformation, decreases mistrust, and helps the public make well-informed decisions. Though learning to communicate science with the public may seem intimidating, resources such as these nine tips from scientist Dr. Marshall Shepherd are a good start. Communication is the key, and scientists need to start learning how to master science communication.
References
Bik, H. M., & Goldstein, M. C. (2013). An introduction to social media for scientists. PLoS Biology, 11(4). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001535
Brownell, S., & Price, J. (2013). Science communication to the general public: Why we need to teach undergraduate and graduate students this skill as part of their formal scientific training. Journal of Undergraduate Neuroscience Education, 12.
Côté, I. M., & Darling, E. S. (2018). Scientists on twitter: Preaching to the choir or singing from the rooftops? FACETS, 3(1), 682–694. https://doi.org/10.1139/facets-2018-0002
Shepherd, M. (2017, February 22). 9 tips for communicating science to people who are not scientists. Forbes. Retrieved February 23, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/marshallshepherd/2016/11/22/9-tips-for-communicating-science-to-people-who-are-not-scientists/?sh=675cbe0a66ae
Thagard, P. (2021, July 22). What is misinformation? Psychology Today. Retrieved February 23, 2022, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hot-thought/202107/what-is-misinformation
Van Eperen, L., & Marincola, F. M. (2011). How scientists use social media to communicate their research. Journal of Translational Medicine, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5876-9-199
Williams, J. H. (2011). Use of social media to communicate sport science research. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 6(2), 295–300. https://doi.org/10.1260/1747-9541.6.2.295