Ten top Ɵ ps for eff ecƟ ve science communicaƟ on

POGO ExecuƟ ve Director Wikipage: hƩ p://www.nf-pogo-alumni.org/POGO+Secretariat

Compiled by Dr Sophie Seeyave from informaƟ on gathered from the POGO News and InformaƟ on Group and Ocean Communicators United

With contribuƟ ons from: Jan Boon, Head of CommunicaƟ ons and PR, Royal Netherlands InsƟ tute for Sea Research (NIOZ) Darlene Crew Trist, Director of CommunicaƟ ons, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, USA Melissa MaƩ hews, Capacity Development and CommunicaƟ on, Australian Bureau of Meteorology Jan Seys, Manager, CommunicaƟ ons Division, Flanders Marine InsƟ tute (VLIZ), Belgium

ScienƟ sts are generally not trained as science communicators, and their day job consists of communicaƟ ng very complex research results to other scienƟ sts using highly technical jargon and a host of acronyms. The Ɵ ps below have been assembled by polling a few Science CommunicaƟ on experts about the most important aspects of science communicaƟ on. Most of the advice can be applied to a number of communicaƟ on methods, such as wriƟ ng in popular science magazines, blogging, using social media, wriƟ ng press releases, responding to interviews, science fairs, school acƟ viƟ es and many more.

1. A good Ɵ tle

● The Ɵ tle should make the reader curious. Many Ɵ tles of publicaƟ ons in scienƟfi c journals don’t.

2. The language

● Explain your research and fi ndings in terms that anyone - including your grandmother!- can understand. In other words, don’t use technical or specialized terms to sound important when you have a more general alternaƟ ve that a much larger audience will understand. As a rule of thumb, words longer than four syllables are iff y, and acronyms are alienaƟ ng. Omit sentences with more than one comma. ● Content that could be quite dry if stated in a purely factual manner can be brought to life by weaving it into a narraƟ ve, using story-telling and humour and engaging the imaginaƟ on of the reader by posing quesƟ ons and bringing in the senses. Use analogies and metaphors to help provide context for your work. Be as creaƟ ve, mulƟ disciplinary, interacƟ ve and engaging as possible.

3. The content

● Layer the informaƟ on and sƟ ck to a handful of take home messages. Some people will just read the fi rst paragraph or two, some people will just look at the pictures, graphs and subheadings, some people will read every word. Set it up so that every one of these readers will walk away having gained something. ● Tell your audience how your (oŌ en rather technical and academic) research is embedded in an issue which they will recognize and (hopefully) agree with you that it is important. A connecƟ on to a generally well-recognized societal issue increases the chance that your news is picked up. Blue-skies science is oŌ en more diffi cult to ‘sell’ even if it is something you, as a scienƟ st, are very passionate about. ● Real life applica Ɵ ons and examples will bring to life why what you are saying is important. Try to think as your audience would to bridge gaps with them instead of creaƟ ng an abyss. ● Always explain why your science maƩ ers, by answering the “so what?” quesƟ on. ● Incorporate pictures (and video) into your communicaƟ ons for they are “truly worth a thousand words”. Think about how to evoke the other senses. ● Be well prepared. Don’t speculate and don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know”. ● Good science communicaƟ on is built on good science.