Communicating Science Effectively A Research Agenda (2017) / Chapter Skim
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1 Using Science to Improve Science Communication
1 Using Science to Improve Science Communication
Pages 11-22
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From page 11... ...
and to discover ways of improving quality of life, expanding economic opportunities, and informing decisions. Yet communicating science effectively does not come easily; it is an acquired skill.
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From page 12... ...
. Moreover, many journalists, institutional public information officers, advocates, and others who communicate science in the course of their work lack training either in science or in the communication of science per se (Dunwoody et al., 2009)
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From page 13... ...
PURPOSE AND SCOPE OF THIS STUDY This study was undertaken in this context to respond to the expressed needs of both those who communicate science and those who study how to communicate it; the statement of task for the study is presented in Box 1-1. This report offers a research agenda for science communication practitioners and researchers seeking to apply research related to science communication and build an evidence base useful for making decisions about how to communicate science most effectively.1 Of particular concern to the study sponsors are gaps in knowledge about effective science communication when science related to contentious issues is involved in public controversy (science-related controversy)
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From page 14... ...
It is intended to provide an integrated understanding of the challenges of communicating science and the factors that influence people's understanding, perception, and use of science that relates to contentious issues. To keep its review of the relevant literature manageable, the committee focused mainly on past or current disputes involving science related to contentious issues that include climate change, stem cells, nanotechnology, vaccines, hydraulic fracturing, genetically modified organisms, nuclear energy, obesity, education policy, and the teaching of evolution and climate
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From page 15... ...
: the understanding, perception, acceptance, and use of science relating to topics that are often contentious. The report also does not directly address topics in formal science education, such as effective teaching methods or curricula related to communicating science, or informal science education.2 Moreover, to identify the challenges of communicating 2 Two National Academies reports address informal science learning and communication: Effective Chemistry Communication in Informal Environments (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2016a)
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From page 16... ...
And while many topics related to the communication of science are important, not all are amenable to empirical study, and such topics are excluded from this report. For example, the important question of what knowledge from science is ready to communicate and worth communicating outside of the scientific community involves ethical, practical, institutional, and academic cultural considerations that may not be addressable through a research agenda.
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From page 17... ...
Their collective expertise will be needed to develop and test science-informed approaches to communicating science. THE DIVERSITY OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATORS AND THEIR GOALS Science is communicated by the scientific community (individual scientists, universities, and scientific associations)
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From page 18... ...
Communicators may seek to bring attention to a neglected issue or neglected aspects of an issue, or may wish to improve the quality of discourse on an issue -- for example, through improved media coverage of the relevant science. A fourth goal of science communication can be to influence people's opinions, behavior, and policy preferences when the weight of evidence clearly shows that some choices have consequences for public health, public safety, or some other societal concern.
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From page 19... ...
At a minimum, however, the public expects emerging science and technologies such as CRISPR to be discussed beyond the scientific community and monitored in a socially responsible way. Science communication as public engagement -- by which we mean any communication between scientists and nonscientists, not just the formal process of public engagement -- gives all stakeholders opportunities to discuss the potential risks, benefits, and consequences of a technology before it is developed or deployed3; can motivate attention to issues important to the public good; and ideally encourages civic participation and expression of views by all the diverse groups that are concerned with an issue.
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From page 20... ...
Science communication conveys scientific findings and methods and helps people assess how that information applies to a particular issue or situation. The debate centers on whether it is also appropriate for scientists to communicate science in order to persuade people to support a particular policy option or engage in a particular behavior.
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From page 21... ...
As noted earlier, however, people do not make decisions based solely on scientific information, but take values and other considerations into account. Thus it cannot be assumed that audiences that fail to act in accordance with the scientific evidence need more information, a better understanding of the information, or a greater appreciation of its 5 Further discussion of ethical issues in science communication is found in Keohane et al.
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From page 22... ...
The factors discussed in this chapter relate to communicating science regardless of whether the scientific information pertains to a contentious societal issue, although the discussion notes those that are especially relevant to science-related controversy. Each of the above chapters contains questions for research surrounding the challenges of science communication.
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