How to Be a Science Advocate

[neuronline_admin]

I believe science is a public good and provides a base of knowledge to improve lives. It’s why so much of science research is funded by taxpayers.

Therefore, we scientists, have a responsibility to convince the public and policymakers about the merit of our research. We cannot afford to stay silent and must communicate about our work clearly and accurately.

However, it can be easy to forget how unrelatable our work and lifestyle can be. The tools we use are unrecognizable, and we’re often kept up all night by our experiments (metaphorically and physically).

We can lose sight of how critical it is to make our world as scientists more approachable to the public.

Link back to full article

[Amanda Labuza]

I liked the tips of communication. Particularly on not using jargon. I think that is one of the biggest struggles we have. I know I forget that words like “antibody” can be considered jargon. Does anyone have good tips on learning what is jargon and what is common language?

[DLRobinson]

I also enjoyed reading the article, especially as I just led a session with our grad students on developing their elevator speeches. The same communication tips apply - start with the “so what?”, remove all jargon, and make it personal. Even though an elevator speech can be targeted for advocacy (community, politicians) or networking (fellow scientists), it’s always a good idea to aim for a smart non-scientist - which means free of jargon. To identify jargon, the students practice with other scientists outside their discipline, then move on to non-science friends, family members, etc. Practice and actively seeking feedback is the key.