One of the most important parts of sharing our science is thinking about *who* we are sharing it with.
My tips for designing more effective #scicomm with people in mind, from the @c3STC Summer Course (1/6)
Tip 1: There is no "public"
Yes, I even use the term a lot. But when you plan a talk, exhibit, or other communication remember each person will receive it differently based on their identity and experiences. (2/6)
(Artwork Humanae by Anjelica Daas my visual reminder)
Tip 2: Think about the audience you want to reach
Each communication “venue” (museum, channel, event) attracts different people. Ex: 70% of people going to places like museums have a graduate degree. Great resource from @americanacad (3/6) amacad.org/publication/en…
Tip 3: Always apply the principles of inclusive science communication by being intentional, reciprocal, and reflexive
Tip 4: On polarizing topics like vaccines and climate change, identity can override facts.
People’s group identity can strong influence how they interpret information, so do your homework if you're communicating polarizing topics. (5/6) blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/w…
Science communication isn't really a choice or an "alternate career." If you are a scientist you are part of a community and you talk to people.
1/ It's hard to keep up with two critical areas of COVID research: new variants, and the efficacy of vaccines on these variants. I'm curating resources I've found helpful this week (a thread)....
(Image of mutations in variants @nextstrain)
2/ First, let's acknowledge how insanely confusing the names are... and it's a #scicomm mess. Place names ("UK variant") are easy to remember and communicate, but "could also stigmatize countries and so discourage surveillance." Great summary in @naturenature.com/articles/d4158…
3/ A concise summary of the four variants of most concern and what we know about vaccine efficacy (L452R/CA, B117/UK, B1.351/So. Africa, P1/Brazil) by @KellieHwang in @sfchronicle
1/ What role can museums play in the vaccine rollout? Upcoming workshop hosted by @nisetnet with leading communications researcher @brossardd and museum case studies. nisenet.org/events/online-…
3/ For those in #scicomm... the primary goal was to address the public's most pressing concerns about the vaccine. I turned to very current data capturing who is declining the vaccine and why to guide questions (@KaiserFamily survey one source). kff.org/coronavirus-co…