Why is communication between scientists important

See, for example, this list of training opportunities compiled by COMPASS , an organization dedicated to improving science communication. Here are a number of other resources:. Public communication of science is not for everyone, of course. Public communication encourages scientists to think about the big picture.

For instance, scientists can get bogged down with the specifics of a research question or use too much jargon to explain a concept. Public communication encourages scientists to find simple, more succinct ways to get the essentials of their message across. Why is it important? Sure, no one can argue that writing a peer-reviewed research article is the same as writing a science blog for high school students, or that giving a talk to your peers at a scientific conference is the same as standing in front of a group of middle schoolers to teach them about chemistry.

Although public communication may seem very different from scholarly communication of science, the principles and strategies that make messaging effective in each arena are very similar.

For example, know your audience. Who are they? You always need to know who you are trying to reach, as it affects everything else you do. Are you trying to reach peers in your field or are you communicating across fields? Who are we? Careers News. The Importance of Science Communication. Posted in: Support for Scientists , Guest Posts. By Chinmaya Sadangi, University of Toronto.

No comments. Your personal profile matters Getting involved in science communication is also important for boosting your career as a scientist, or science student. Communicating with vendors Lastly, I want to talk about the importance of having discussions with vendors at conferences, or the vendors who visit your lab.

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The science of science communication has generated many instructive findings. It has shown, for example,that a substantial and growing number of scientists [11] are willing to communicate their findings. It has also demonstrated that different models of science communication [12] exist, each with their strengths and weaknesses. Whereas the research clearly demonstrates different audiences of science communication [14] that exist, which need to be addressed, each with specific aims, channels and messages.

This finding has become even more urgent in our modern times of digital, social and mobile media [15], which individualize communication, contribute to erosion of legacy media [16] and challenge the traditional infrastructures of public science communication. Department of Global Communications. Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Accessed December 10, Accessed December 8, Fischhoff, Baruch, and Dietram A.

National Academy of Sciences, August 20, Supplement 3 Scheufele, eds. Rauchfleisch, Adrian and Mike S. However, this is also highly challenging given the lack of investment from universities in offering and developing programs that will support the integration of science communication into their professional development, and potentially the larger challenge that this skill may not be viewed as valuable by those responsible for this development.

While some universities are beginning to recognize the need to teach this skill, this is far from standardized in a way that young scientists can uniformly learn these necessary skills. And in a culture where we only expect young scientists to make scientific discoveries, without teaching them how to communicate it, all this valuable knowledge will be lost by not being able to reach a large segment of the population.

In some cases, this type of training is also discouraged by individual investigators and departments, and there is no system that currently integrates science communication training into the professional development of young scientists in universities. While this publication highlights a few existing examples of science programs and resources that exist outside the university, we were unable to find a comprehensive resource for science communication online that we could utilize to come up with an extensive list to recommend.

Thus we highlighted a few resources we were aware of from our own experiences, raising awareness for the need to develop such a resource. Levine, Quantum Success Solutions www. However, there are likely many more such initiatives out there which are difficult to find without an organized system. Thus, we advocate for a comprehensive science communication training program with multiple phases to be implemented in universities. The first phase would consist of multiple training elements — such as seminars, workshops, writing opportunities, as well as a centralized online resource for science communication, among others.

The second phase would be devising methods for evaluating these science communication programs, including longitudinal tracking. In the third and final phase, this program would result in multiple products, including publications and opportunities to better understand the barriers towards and incentives for universities to implement these types of programs 1.

In order to provide training in science communication for young scientists and incentivize universities to develop these programs, it could be beneficial to implement mechanisms for integrating this training into courses, graduation requirements, or as part of training grants. An alternative option would be allocating a particular amount of the grant money specifically for these activities to be used in training graduate students. For faculty, receiving recognition for engaging in science communication in a way that would count for their funding, tenure and promotion requirements would also aid with acceptance of these skills as being necessary for their career advancement.

In order to better understand how to improve science communication training for scientists, the field itself needs to be developed more, which is beginning to happen, such as in the National Academy of Sciences Arthur M.

Ultimately, increased recognition for the value of science communication both within and outside academic environments is necessary in order to enable young scientists to participate in societal change.