scholarly journals Impacts of Formal Science Communication Training for Graduate Students & Postdoctoral Researchers: A case study from ComSciCon-Michigan

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie J. Deppe (Hamilton) ◽  
Sarah Kearns ◽  
Jessica Y. Chen ◽  
Ellen K.W. Brennan ◽  
Sara A. Hugentobler
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Communication Training ◽  
Formal Science ◽  
Postdoctoral Researchers

A Case Study of Indonesian Journalists’ Participation in a Cochran Fellowship Program focused on Biotechnology and Journalism

2017 ◽  
pp. 52-66
Author(s):  
Holli R. Leggette ◽  
Samuel Thomas Hall ◽  
Theresa Pesl Murphrey
Keyword(s):  
Science Communication ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Communication Training ◽  
Comfort Level ◽  
Fellowship Program ◽  
Science Journalism ◽  
News Organizations ◽  
Building Activities

This case study describes the participation of Indonesian journalists in a two-week Cochran Fellowship Program designed to teach about biotechnology and the process of disseminating scientific information. The purpose of this case study was to examine the experience of Indonesian journalists who participated in science communication training in an effort to document practices that improve journalistic writing skills and encourage positive perceptions of biotechnology. Therefore, we collected pre- and post-training reflections, photo reflections, and project debriefing session reflections from six Indonesian journalists who specialized in various types of journalism and worked for private or government-owned news organizations. The reflections revealed changes in comfort level with journalistic writing, thoughts and behaviors, and understanding of the biotechnology process. The journalists showed the most change in comfort level for explaining communication tools; using, evaluating, and choosing communication mediums; and translating science related to biotechnology. They described biotechnology as a highly debated, multi-step process affecting food security and noted that they gained valuable information about science journalism and biotechnology. Training journalists and understanding their voices could enable agriculturalists to more effectively communicate about scientific issues and develop impactful capacity-building activities. Because journalists have the power to inform and influence, programs, like this one, can have far-reaching, beneficial impacts on the adoption of biotechnology. However, researchers should investigate future programs using a longitudinal study to determine if programs influence the stories published in the years following the training

A Scale to Measure Science Communication Training Effectiveness

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shelly Rodgers ◽  
Ze Wang ◽  
Jack C. Schultz
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
National Science Foundation ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Communication Training ◽  
Training Effectiveness ◽  
Science Technology ◽  
National Science ◽  
Success Of Science ◽  
Reliable Scale

The research describes efforts toward developing a valid and reliable scale used to assess science communication training effectiveness (SCTE) undertaken in conjunction with a 4-year project funded by the National Science Foundation. Results suggest that the SCTE scale possesses acceptable psychometric properties, specifically reliability and validity, with regard to responses from graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and math fields. While it cannot be concluded that the SCTE scale is the “be-all-end-all” tool, it may assist investigators in gauging success of science communication training efforts and by identifying aspects of the program that are working or that need improving.

scholarly journals Geoscience on television: a review of science communication literature in the context of geosciences

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 2507-2518 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolf Hut ◽  
Anne M. Land-Zandstra ◽  
Ionica Smeets ◽  
Cathelijne R. Stoof
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Relevant Theory ◽  
The World ◽  
Effective Science ◽  
Formal Science

Abstract. Geoscience communication is becoming increasingly important as climate change increases the occurrence of natural hazards around the world. Few geoscientists are trained in effective science communication, and awareness of the formal science communication literature is also low. This can be challenging when interacting with journalists on a powerful medium like TV. To provide geoscience communicators with background knowledge on effective science communication on television, we reviewed relevant theory in the context of geosciences and discuss six major themes: scientist motivation, target audience, narratives and storytelling, jargon and information transfer, relationship between scientists and journalists, and stereotypes of scientists on TV. We illustrate each theme with a case study of geosciences on TV and discuss relevant science communication literature. We then highlight how this literature applies to the geosciences and identify knowledge gaps related to science communication in the geosciences. As TV offers a unique opportunity to reach many viewers, we hope this review can not only positively contribute to effective geoscience communication but also to the wider geoscience debate in society.

scholarly journals Geoscience on television: a review of science communication literature in the context of geosciences

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. Hut ◽  
A. M. Land-Zandstra ◽  
I. Smeets ◽  
C. Stoof
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Natural Hazards ◽  
Information Transfer ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Knowledge Gaps ◽  
Relevant Theory ◽  
The World ◽  
Effective Science ◽  
Formal Science

Abstract. Geoscience communication is becoming increasingly important as climate change increases the occurrence of natural hazards around the world. Few geoscientists are trained in effective science communication, and awareness of the formal science communication literature is also low. This can be challenging when interacting with journalists on a powerful medium like TV. To provide geoscience communicators with background knowledge on effective science communication on television, we reviewed relevant theory in the context of geosciences and discuss six major themes: scientist motivation, target audience, narratives and storytelling, jargon and information transfer, relationship between scientists and journalists, and stereotypes of scientists on TV. We illustrate each theme with a case study of geosciences on TV and discuss relevant science communication literature. We then highlight how this literature applies to the geosciences and identify knowledge gaps related to science communication in the geosciences. As TV offers a unique opportunity to reach many viewers, we hope this review can not only positively contribute to effective geoscience communication but also to the wider geoscience debate in society.

Genome Editing or Genome Cutting? Communicating CRISPR in the British and German Press

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-66
Author(s):  
Yoo Yung Lee
Keyword(s):  
Science Communication ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Word Processor ◽  
Public Science ◽  
German Press ◽  
Legal Questions ◽  
British Press ◽  
Legal Frameworks

AbstractIn this paper, I analyze the role of metaphors in public science communication. Specifically, it is a case study of the metaphors for CRISPR/Cas9, a controversial biotechnology that enables scientists to alter the DNA of any organism with unprecedented ease and has raised a number of societal, ethical and legal questions concerning its applications – most notably, on its usage on the human germline. Using a corpus of 600 newspaper articles from the British and German press, I show that there are striking differences in how these two European countries construe CRISPR in public discourse: the British press promotes the image of CRISPR as a word processor that allows scientists to edit the DNA, replacing spelling mistakes with healthy genes, whereas the German press depicts CRISPR as genetic scissors and thereby underlines the risk of mutations after cutting the DNA. I suggest that this contrast reflects differences in the legal frameworks of the respective countries and may influence the attitudes towards emerging biotechnologies among the British and German public.

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