HOW TO BE A 21ST CENTURY SCIENCE COMMUNICATOR

- FIRST STEPS -Joanne Richardson and Pat Nunnally River Life, University of Minnesota

WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITYWe are equipping the next generation of scientists to

participate in the creation of a more scientifically literate public.

WHY BOTHER?

• “An educated citizenry is the only safe repository for democratic values.”- Thomas Jefferson

• “In a democracy, it is very important that the public have a basic understanding of science so that they can control the way that science and technology increasingly affect our lives.”- Stephen Hawking

• "Scientific literacy may likely determine whether or not democratic society will survive into the 21st century."- L. M. Lederman, Nobel Laureate

• Adequate scientific literacy is a critical component of a healthy society.

WHY BOTHER?

• “I'm a big fan of social media for scientists. I think it can do a lot for your scientific career, do a lot for your networking skills, and get you an amazing support group. It can also help you get a broader education, finding out about science outside your subfield, and give you a crash course in how to communicate with people outside your field.”*- scicurious

• So it’s good for your career and your discipline too.

*Emphasis ours.

#WHYSCITWEETIt started with this request on Twitter

@ihearttheroad People of STEM: I'm working on a module for a social media workshop. Help me? Answer this Q: Why do you tweet?#WhySciTweet (RT? kthxbye).

#WHYSCITWEET

• @myleskilloneous #whyscitweet a massive multidisciplinary classroom at my fingertips. I'm both the student and the teacher. For FREE!#nohomework

• @ihearttheroad #WhySciTweet MT @kirkenglehardt So many things I read each day make me go "WOW" I feel compelled to share so others can react (& learn) too.

• @LouWoodley #whyscitweet No one can be everywhere at once - live tweeting of events allows you to share your experiences and share in those of others.

• @DrStelling #WhySciTweet Because a Twitter account is the digital equivalent of a business card. And it's an interactive card, too!

• @JessicaHellmann @ihearttheroad #WhySciTweet I tweet to try out ideas, help amplify science voices, share results; I listen as quick/easy way to stay current

• @paulacroxson #WhySciTweet Because it keeps me more up-to-date with what's going on in my field than I ever was before!

IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT

• Envision a community of scientists, global in scale, all learning from each other, sharing insights and perspectives.

• We have the tools.

• We’ll give you the ground rules to get started.

SO WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT TODAY?

• This isn’t about “social media strategy” or “self-branding.”

• This isn’t about getting more likes, hits, props, retweets, or shares than anyone else.

• This is about doing work.

SO WHAT TO SAY?WHAT TO SHARE?

• Share thoughts, resources, and ideas,

• Images, videos, graphics, or text,

• Links, tools, articles, blog posts, retweets, and quotes.

• Ask questions, solicit opinions and seek knowledge.

SO WHAT DO I SAY?WHAT DO I SHARE?

“Science communication” can mean many things, including education about the principles of the scientific method, explanation of the results of current research, reinforcing the community of science

fans, and facilitating communication between scientists.”

- Josh Witten

ON JARGONPhrases like “social media communications strategy” and “digital

communications” get bandied about a lot.

COMMUNICATIONSThat’s the key word.

REMEMBER THAT IT GOES BOTH WAYS

Communications is just as much about listening as it is about being heard.

WHO SHOULD DO THIS?Everyone.

We encourage all of you to participate.

This week, and as you progress in your careers.

WHY SHOULD EVERYONE DO THIS?

• You’ll get practice and experience.

• You’ll create a record of your experiences for yourselves and for others. For this year and for next.

• You’ll start to establish voice and explore the tools.

WHEN TO START?

• There’s no time like the present.

• Start now.

WHERE DO WE DO THIS?

• Here.

• At home.

• In your hotel or at the coffee shop.

• At dinner or in the lab.

• Anywhere.

TO GET STARTED

• Have something to say.

• Have somewhere to say it.

• Cultivate an audience.

• How? Consider these core ideas...

CORE IDEAS OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS

• Audience

• Goals

• Measurement

• Listening

• Being Human

• Choosing a Tool

AUDIENCE

• Who do you want to hear what you are saying?

• Perhaps colleagues, fellow scientists, students, and collaborators, the next generation of scientists, the general public, policy makers, funders and patrons, industry professionals, friends, family, and peers.

• Where is your audience?

• Notice and adapt if the audience you have is different than the audience you want.

GOALS

• What are you trying to achieve?

• You might foster community, clear up misunderstandings, educate regarding the importance of your work, connect long-term scientific work to day-to-day media and news.

• I encourage you to set your goals, to define success for yourself in terms of the work you do.

MEASUREMENT

• You improve what you measure, so be careful what you measure.

• Measurement gives you interesting information, but remember what it really means. Having a lot of followers or hits doesn’t necessarily mean that your material was read thoughtfully.

• Look for conversations that have been sparked, connections made with colleagues, thoughtful comments, knowledge gained.

LISTENING

• The most boring people at parties are the ones that do all the talking and never listen back.

• Listen back.

• Pay attention to what interests you, and also to what you don’t engage with. Use that information to guide your own work.

• Comment, reply, retweet, and follow-up.

BEING HUMAN

• Have fun. Sound like a human. Have a personal voice.

• Have a sense of humor.

• Use memes. Use lolcats. Use rage faces. Reference trends.

• But... don’t be frivolous or descend into a chaos of inside jokes.

CHOOSE YOUR TOOLS WISELY

• If you want to make quick posts frequently, use Twitter.

• If you want to make longer and more thoughtful posts less frequently, think about blogging.

• Choose the tool that matches the job that you want doing.

WHAT IS A TWEET?

• 140 characters posted with a Twitter account.

• Say one thing, say it briefly.

• You can reply to Tweets and you can include links or images.

• You need a Twitter account to post, but you don’t need one to read.

WHAT IS A BLOG POST?

• The best blog posts talk about one thing, and end with a charge or question.

• This isn’t formal writing, sound like a human. It’s okay to not know all the answers, or to lack a profound conclusion.

• Pictures and links are always popular, and the post does not have to be long.

• If you’re struggling to start, try to aim for 100 words.

THE ONLY WAY

• When it comes right down to it, the only way to learn this is to do this.

• So jump in and try.

• This can be the start of your digital portfolio, or just a skills-building exercise that may be useful years down the line.

WANT MORE INFORMATION?

• Do blog posts correlate with a higher number of future citations? By Hadas ShemaIn a word, yes.

• Do blog citations correlate with a higher number of future citations? Research blogs as a potential source for alternative metrics By Hadas Shema, Judit Bar-Ilan and Mike ThelwallThis is the actual paper. Again, yes, however they refer here to a specific form of blogging called “research blogging” and this is a young field.

• Science Communication Tips: We Can Hear You By ScicuriousExcellent summary of the best reasons to participate in social media as a scientist, as well as solid advice on how to notice and avoid potential pitfalls.

• TL:DR by NeuropolarbearOn the benefits of brevity.  Numbers tells us that if what you write is too long, or waits too long for the reveal, then nobody will read it.

• The role of Twitter in the life cycle of a scientific publication By Emily Darling, David Schiffman, Isabelle Cȏté, Joshua DrewFrom pre-review works in progress to communicating published findings, this paper explores the role of Twitter and its broad audience with regards to the world of scientific publication.

• Lessons Learned: My First Press Release By Emily PetersSolid advice on how to deal with putting yourself out there – how to prepare both your work and yourself.

WANT MORE INFORMATION?

• Cutting the jargon: Explaining science to the public by MPRCommunication relies on everyone understanding the language used.  Speak to your audience using language they understand.

• Scicurious Guest Writer : Societal challenges to science communication in Nepal By Roshan KarkiOn what can happen when you bump up against cultural challenges and apathy.

• Finding an audience with social media By Josh Witten Figuring out audience.  Who are they, where are they, and what do they want to hear?

• A Note To Beginning Science Writers By Carl ZimmerA very clear discussion of the basics, including information on how to get into the business of professional science writing.

• What the Science Tells Us About “Trust in Science” by Liz NeeleyDoes advocacy by scientists erode trust, credibility, and reputation for objectivity? What does trust in science even mean?  This is part of an excellent series on evidence based analysis of science communications.(Spoiler alert: It depends.)

• People of STEM: Why Do You Tweet? by Jessica Morrison#whyscitweet An ongoing discussion Twitter on why scientists Tweet.

• Storytellers Who Know Science, Scientists Who Tell Stories by Pat NunnallyThoughts on the future of communications and science careers.

SEE YOU ONLINE!Follow us @RiverLifeUMN on Twitter

Read River Talk at http://riverlife.umn.edu