The “Scientific colour map” Initiative: Version 7 and its new additions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabio Crameri ◽  
Grace Shephard ◽  
Philip Heron
Keyword(s):  
Science Communication ◽  
Colour Vision ◽  
Scientific Progress ◽  
Data Types ◽  
Academic Leaders ◽  
True Nature ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Artificial Boundaries ◽  
Effective Science ◽  
Science Community

<ul><li><em>Does visualisation hinder scientific progress?</em></li> <li><em>Is visualisation widely misused to tweak data?</em></li> <li><em>Is visualisation intentionally used for social exclusion?</em></li> <li><em>Is visualisation taken seriously by academic leaders?</em></li> </ul><p>Using scientifically-derived colour palettes is a big step towards making it obsolete to even ask such brutal questions. Their perceptual uniformity leaves no room to highlight artificial boundaries, or hide real ones. Their perceptual order visually transfers data effortlessly and without delay. Their colour-vision deficient friendly nature leaves no reader left wondering. Their black-and-white readability leaves no printer accused of being not good enough. It is, indeed, the true nature of the data that is displayed to all viewers, in every way.</p><p>The “Scientific colour map” initiative (<em>Crameri et al., 2020</em>) provides free, citable colour palettes of all kinds for download for an extensive suite of software programs, a discussion around data types and colouring options, and a handy how-to guide for a professional use of colour combinations. Version 7 of the Scientific colour maps (<em>Crameri, 2020</em>) makes crucial new additions towards fairer and more effective science communication available to the science community.</p><p>Crameri, F., G.E. Shephard, and P.J. Heron (2020), The misuse of colour in science communication, Nature Communications, 11, 5444. </p><p>Crameri, F. (2020). Scientific colour maps. Zenodo. http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1243862</p>

scholarly journals Establishing a baseline of science communication skills in an undergraduate environmental science course

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rashmi Shivni ◽  
Christina Cline ◽  
Morgan Newport ◽  
Shupei Yuan ◽  
Heather E. Bergan-Roller
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Environmental Science ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Early Step ◽  
Effective Science ◽  
Media Types ◽  
Undergraduate Science ◽  
The Right

Abstract Background Seminal reports, based on recommendations by educators, scientists, and in collaboration with students, have called for undergraduate curricula to engage students in some of the same practices as scientists—one of which is communicating science with a general, non-scientific audience (SciComm). Unfortunately, very little research has focused on helping students develop these skills. An important early step in creating effective and efficient curricula is understanding what baseline skills students have prior to instruction. Here, we used the Essential Elements for Effective Science Communication (EEES) framework to survey the SciComm skills of students in an environmental science course in which they had little SciComm training. Results Our analyses revealed that, despite not being given the framework, students included several of the 13 elements, especially those which were explicitly asked for in the assignment instructions. Students commonly targeted broad audiences composed of interested adults, aimed to increase the knowledge and awareness of their audience, and planned and executed remote projects using print on social media. Additionally, students demonstrated flexibility in their skills by slightly differing their choices depending on the context of the assignment, such as creating more engaging content than they had planned for. Conclusions The students exhibited several key baseline skills, even though they had minimal training on the best practices of SciComm; however, more support is required to help students become better communicators, and more work in different contexts may be beneficial to acquire additional perspectives on SciComm skills among a variety of science students. The few elements that were not well highlighted in the students’ projects may not have been as intuitive to novice communicators. Thus, we provide recommendations for how educators can help their undergraduate science students develop valuable, prescribed SciComm skills. Some of these recommendations include helping students determine the right audience for their communication project, providing opportunities for students to try multiple media types, determining the type of language that is appropriate for the audience, and encouraging students to aim for a mix of communication objectives. With this guidance, educators can better prepare their students to become a more open and communicative generation of scientists and citizens.

Bringing Science to Bars: A Strategy for Effective Science Communication

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 819-826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shawn Zheng Kai Tan ◽  
Jose Angelo Udal Perucho
Keyword(s):  
Science Communication ◽  
Effective Strategy ◽  
Effective Science ◽  
Communication Programs ◽  
Target Community ◽  
Do So

It is well accepted that it is part of a scientist’s duty to communicate science, yet most practicing scientists lack the training and opportunity to do so. In this article, we use the framework of science talks in bars to highlight the importance of locality and environment. We propose that science communication programs should be developed around the locales of the target community as an effective strategy to counter the rising mistrust in science and scientists.

scholarly journals Evaluating science communication

2018 ◽  
Vol 116 (16) ◽  
pp. 7670-7675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baruch Fischhoff
Keyword(s):  
Voter Turnout ◽  
Research Agenda ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
National Research Council ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Vaccination Rates ◽  
Communication Processes ◽  
Effective Science ◽  
The Right

Effective science communication requires assembling scientists with knowledge relevant to decision makers, translating that knowledge into useful terms, establishing trusted two-way communication channels, evaluating the process, and refining it as needed. Communicating Science Effectively: A Research Agenda [National Research Council (2017)] surveys the scientific foundations for accomplishing these tasks, the research agenda for improving them, and the essential collaborative relations with decision makers and communication professionals. Recognizing the complexity of the science, the decisions, and the communication processes, the report calls for a systems approach. This perspective offers an approach to creating such systems by adapting scientific methods to the practical constraints of science communication. It considers staffing (are the right people involved?), internal collaboration (are they talking to one another?), and external collaboration (are they talking to other stakeholders?). It focuses on contexts where the goal of science communication is helping people to make autonomous choices rather than promoting specific behaviors (e.g., voter turnout, vaccination rates, energy consumption). The approach is illustrated with research in two domains: decisions about preventing sexual assault and responding to pandemic disease.

scholarly journals Antecedents of Vaccine Hesitancy in WEIRD and East Asian Contexts

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel S. Courtney ◽  
Ana-Maria Bliuc
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
East Asian ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Mmr Vaccine ◽  
Specific Context ◽  
Vaccination Rates ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Effective Science

Following decreasing vaccination rates over the last two decades, understanding the roots of vaccine hesitancy has become a public health priority. Vaccine hesitancy is linked to scientifically unfounded fears around the MMR vaccine and autism which are often fuelled by misinformation spread on social media. To counteract the effects of misinformation about vaccines and in particular the falling vaccination rates, much research has focused on identifying the antecedents of vaccine hesitancy. As antecedents of vaccine hesitancy are contextually dependent, a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to be successful in non-WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich, and Democratic) populations, and even in certain (non-typical) WEIRD sub-populations. Successful interventions to reduce vaccine hesitancy must be based on understanding of the specific context. To identify potential contextual differences in the antecedents of vaccine hesitancy, we review research from three non-WEIRD populations in East Asia, and three WEIRD sub-populations. We find that regardless of the context, mistrust seems to be the key factor leading to vaccine hesitancy. However, the object of mistrust varies across WEIRD and non-WEIRD populations, and across WEIRD subgroups suggesting that effective science communication must be mindful of these differences.

scholarly journals Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Microbial Sciences—the Texas Perspective

mBio ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfredo G. Torres ◽  
Maria Elena Bottazzi ◽  
Floyd L. Wormley
Keyword(s):  
Short Stories ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Professional Roles ◽  
Scientific Careers ◽  
Effective Science ◽  
Guiding Principles ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Equity And Inclusion ◽  
The Way

The way that diversity, equity, and inclusion impact scientific careers varies for everyone, but it is evident that institutions providing an environment where being different or having differences creates a sense of being welcomed, supported, and valued are beneficial to the scientific community at large. In this commentary, three short stories from Texas-based microbiologists are used to depict (i) the importance of bringing the guiding principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion within their professional roles, (ii) the need to apply and translate those principles to support and enable successful scientific careers among peers and trainees, and (iii) the impact of effective science communication to increase the understanding of microbial environments among the community at large.

Using Frames to Make Scientific Communication More Effective

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
James N. Druckman ◽  
Arthur Lupia
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Effective Communication ◽  
Scientific Communication ◽  
Political Polarization ◽  
Scientific Finding ◽  
Effective Science ◽  
The Impact

Science can serve as a valuable foundation for the making of public policy. For science to have this effect, it must be effectively communicated to individuals, organizations, and institutions. Effective science communication often involves frames that highlight particular aspects of a scientific finding or issue. This chapter discusses ways in which frames can be used to facilitate effective scientific communication—particularly we explore the impact of frames with regard to attention limitations, political polarization, and the politicization of science. We also highlight unanswered questions and challenges. The main lesson of this chapter is that there are certain conditions under which choosing particular frames yields more effective communication. While understanding these conditions does not guarantee success, it can help science communicators avoid common mistakes.

Knowledge argument

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torin Alter
Keyword(s):  
Biological Sciences ◽  
Colour Vision ◽  
Thought Experiment ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Knowledge Argument ◽  
Frank Jackson ◽  
Black And White ◽  
Television Monitor ◽  
Physical Chemical ◽  
The World

The knowledge argument is an argument against physicalism, the view that the world is wholly physical. It was developed by Frank Jackson (1943–) and is based on the following thought experiment. Everything that can be known through the physical, chemical, and biological sciences – the complete physical truth – has been discovered. Mary is a brilliant scientist who is raised in a black-and-white room. She has never had colour experiences. But she learns the complete physical truth, which includes the completed science of colour vision, by reading books and watching lectures on a black-and-white television monitor. Then she leaves the room and sees colours. Jackson’s argument runs roughly as follows. When Mary leaves the room, she learns something new. She learns what it is like to see in colour. Evidently, the complete physical truth is not the complete truth about the world. Ergo, physicalism is false. Some react by denying that Mary learns anything when she leaves the room. Others react by accepting that she learns something but denying that this refutes physicalism. Still others accept the argument as sound. The ensuing discussion has led to a variety of insights about consciousness and its place in the natural world.

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