The little ABC on the subject of Science Communication
A for Aktualität, B for blogs or C for citizen science: In our ABC of Science Communication you will learn more about tools, receive tips and learn new communication approaches.
For many print and online media, Aktualität (in English: topicality) is an important, if not decisive, criterion for what is published and how extensively an issue is publicised. Once news of a new research result, for example, has been published, it becomes increasingly difficult to distribute it further. Sometimes this can be achieved with a new approach. In this respect, timing should always be carefully considered: What do I publish when and where?
Blogs are a very popular and well-received form of Science Communication. The best thing about it: as a scientist, I have every opportunity to present the facts in my blog exactly as I see fit. The difficulty: this is not possible without knowledge of journalistic principles. Blogs can also come across as very long-winded and therefore boring if they don't quickly and directly strike a chord with the target group. Therefore, first clarify who a blog is aimed at. Choose short sentences and simple language, don't shy away from exaggeration, use it! Choose understandable comparisons (this is the size of Germany, Bavaria or ten football pitches), don't assume too much specialised knowledge if the blog is not aimed at a specialist audience.
The COVID-19 pandemic is widely regarded as a turning point for recent Science Communication in the modern era. Never before have so many scientists been guests on talk shows, never before have so many interviews been read, heard and seen about speculations, the consequences of vaccination or the causes of this virus. Scientists such as Christian Drosten, Hendrik Streeck and Lothar Wieler became the faces of this pandemic and sat on talk shows, the German government's expert council, ethics committees, etc. What the public expected from them above all was solutions, answers and objectivity. However, the scientists, who were often (mis)perceived as bringers of salvation, all had to learn to endure the downsides of this new ‘fame’ first-hand. These ranged from relevant media campaigns to death threats.
Citizen science describes a more recent approach in which scientific knowledge is gained by people who are not full-time scientists, with or without the involvement of full-time researchers. In the dialogue process of the BürGEr schaffen WISSen (GEWISS) project, more than 700 people from over 350 organisations and various citizen science activities discussed this complex of topics. This resulted in the following definition of citizen science: 'Citizen science describes the participation of people in scientific processes who are not institutionally bound to this field of science. This participation can range from the short-term collection of data to the intensive use of free time to delve into a research topic together with scientists and/or other volunteers. Although many volunteer researchers have an academic qualification, this is not a prerequisite for participating in research projects. However, it is important to adhere to scientific standards, which above all includes transparency with regard to the methodology of data collection and public discussion of the results.' (translated from German, Source: https://www.mitforschen.org; the platform 'mit:forschen! Gemeinsam Wissen schaffen', formerly Bürger schaffen Wissen, claims to be the central platform for citizen science in Germany).
The UBT is open to citizen science projects. If you have any questions or suggestions, please get in touch with the contact person for Science Communication at the UBT, Gert Dieter Meier (tel. 55-5356, mail: gert.meier@uni-bayreuth.de)
A universally valid and therefore binding definition of Science Communication is not exactly easy. If only because the topic itself is constantly changing and developing. Science Communication is a process through which scientific information, methods, findings and considerations are conveyed to various target groups. This includes exchange within the scientific community as well as communication with the public, political decision-makers, educational institutions and other social groups. The aim of Science Communication is always to improve the understanding and appreciation of scientific topics, to arouse interest in science and to support science-based decisions. Science Communication therefore plays a central role in connecting science and society, creating and strengthening trust in scientific processes and the truthfulness of scientific work as well as developing an informed public.
The topic of evaluating Science Communication is becoming increasingly important because the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is increasingly demanding an assessment of the success of the communication channels used in project funding, as can be read in the brochure 'Wissenschaftskommunikation in der Projektförderung' (BMBF, 23 November 2021, see link below). It states: 'Good science communication has clearly formulated objectives, comprehensibly identifies target groups and uses appropriate formats and media for realisation. The communication measures are documented and assessed in terms of their success (evaluation).' (translated from German). The Ministry offers a whole range of tips and tools for this purpose.
The list of particularly suitable formats for successful and interesting Science Communication is diverse, colourful and therefore also suitable for all conceivable target groups. Publications in renowned specialist publications such as 'Nature' and 'Spektrum der Wissenschaft' are standard in the research sector; more than 20,000 open access journals are listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). News agencies such as dpa, science programmes on television, radio and the internet (YouTube etc) also play an important role in spreading important science-related topics. Local media, universities and colleges, cities and communities as well as museums also make valuable contributions to bringing science topics to society through discussions, exhibitions, (photo) competitions, events such as 'Children's University', city talks, science slams, open days, events organised by and in start-up centres, lecture series, start-up competitions and grocery campaigns, podcasts, pub events as well as influencers in social media, etc. Examples of interesting formats? You can find them here:
Out of the ivory tower and straight into Gesellschaft (in English: society)! The national government, research ministry and scientific associations and organisations have been consistently pursuing this clearly defined goal for some time now. Seclusion is out, transparency is in. And for good reason: society has a right to know what new research results are available - especially if they have been co-funded by the public purse.
However, in order to be understood, scientists must abide by certain rules: they must communicate in language that is as comprehensible as possible; they must think about which target groups they want to address (children or business organisations, local politicians or scientific associations) and do their utmost to explain even complex issues in a way that is understood.
What is all this supposed to achieve and change in society? Firstly, it is about the credibility of scientific work, about the process of 'finding the truth' - and therefore about a socially relevant process. This is also expressed in a motion by members of the Bundestag from the SPD, FDP and the Grünen to strengthen Science Communication (cf. Drucksache 20/10606), which states: 'In times of multiple crises, science communicates new findings, ideas and innovations, solutions and scenarios and supports politics in setting the course for the modernisation of our country. Scientific knowledge opens up opportunities for society: science communication offers knowledge as a basis for democratic processes, enables evidence-based decisions and counteracts fake news and disinformation. In society as a whole, it promotes resilience, sustainability and a willingness to innovate and strengthens trust in science.' (translated from German)
Hochschulvertrag (in English: university contract): When it comes to Science Communication, it's not just the scientists at the University of Bayreuth that are called upon, but also the university itself. This is because the University Contract 2023-2027, which was concluded between the University of Bayreuth and the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts in September 2023, clearly defines what is to be achieved. Quote:
'Including qualification measures for teaching staff and students in Science Communication, the UBT is developing and implementing a strategy concept "Science Communication at the UBT".' (translated from German)
Which Inhalte (in English: contents) interest people? Anyone who could answer this question in a generalised and target group-specific way would probably be a made woman or a made man. Of course, nobody can do that. In contrast to traditional print media, however, in social media you can find out what people are interested in, what they read, how long they read a text, listen to a podcast or watch a video. And based on this information, editors and marketing departments can then deliver similar materials to customers in a customised way - on the assumption that they will also interest people (see also: Monitoring). Example: If a young person actually reads a long post on social media about vegan food through to the end, then it can be worthwhile, triggered by a clever algorithm, to also deliver an advert about - let's say - vegan meat so that they later decide in favour of the advertised brand in the supermarket. This approach is being used more and more intensively in ever more areas of the media world.
Many journalists, especially older ones who grew up in the world of the printed word, rely less on algorithms, but on a very different tool to deliver relevant content to ‘their’ readers/customers - the much-acclaimed journalistic instinct. If this is aroused by a particularly relevant topic, a revelation, a scandal from the world of the rich and beautiful or an unusual story (not ‘dog bites man’, which is normal, but ‘man bites dog’, which we rarely have!), then you usually not only gain the journalist's attention, but ideally also their passion for a special realisation of the topic. And this principle also applies to the world of science (communication).
Interviews are widespread in the media world as they reflect the interviewee's choice of words in a very authentic way, because they appear spontaneous, are often exclusive and allow in-depth follow-up questions. In Germany, a rule has become established that allows interviewees to read the finished interview again once it has been written by the journalist and to release it at the end. Why does this happen? Because it can happen that you slip up during the interview - due to nervousness - or present facts in a misleading way. This can be smoothed out in the post-reading. However, some interviewees believe that they can also change or even delete questions from journalists, which of course is not possible. For good reason, journalistic lead-ins, headlines or even comments must also not be ‘edited’ by an interviewee, as this would be contrary to journalistic freedom. Important: If an interviewee wants to insist on a release, this should be agreed before the interview.
Journalists tick differently to scientists. They are looking for exciting topics, exclusive content and news that is relevant to as many people as possible. Journalists, especially in local and regional media, are often generalists and not specialists in scientific topics, for example. Their task is to deliver even complex topics to the readership in as comprehensible a way as possible. To do this, they need help, especially from scientists who work on highly complex topics. The better and more comprehensibly scientists explain facts, the more correct the story will be that is to appear in any medium. This applies equally to radio, television, print and online media (especially as journalists are increasingly being encouraged to play out their content in several channels and usually prioritise online channels, keyword ‘online first’). Remember: Journalists can/must also ask ‘stupid’ questions in order to be able to sell content (see above) and thus their stories well. You need to know this when dealing with journalists.
Journalists are not monsters, in most cases you can make reliable agreements with them. Politicians do the same, by the way. If they tell a journalist something ‘unter drei’ (i.e. off the record), it must not be quoted. This is an established law that all (reasonable) journalists normally abide by - if only because otherwise they will never receive confidential information again. Postscript: Information that is passed on with the reference ‘unter zwei’ may be published - albeit without naming the source. Journalists then like to quote ‘informed circles’ or ‘observers’. ‘Unter eins’ means that all information can be reproduced verbatim and the source cited.
KinderUni: If this format didn't already exist, it would definitely have to be reinvented! Because it shows in a very lively and impressive way how fascinating science can be if the topics are presented in a way that is understandable and suitable for the target group. Many thanks to the researchers who embarked on this experiment and will have given a lot of thought to whether their specialism is really suitable for bringing it closer to children. After all, they have not only invested a lot of work in the project, but have also achieved something big: that children are suddenly interested in a topic that they may never have had on their agenda before. They have awakened curiosity for science - and perhaps given the first impulse for a scientific career. If that's not a prime example of strategically clever and long-term Science Communication...
There are plenty of Leitbilder (in English: guiding principles) for Science Communication. For example, that of ‘Wissenschaft im Dialog’, an organisation that sees itself as a ‘think-and-do tank’ that develops practical knowledge, offers further education and training and focuses on networking and communication in science. And which has set itself this vision:
‘Our vision is an open and democratic society that succeeds in releasing people's critical and constructive abilities. Free and responsible science is an essential part of this society, and an informed and solution-orientated public discourse is the most important means for political and social decision-making processes. A productive dialogue between the sciences and their publics is the driving force for change. In an open society, the diversity of knowledge and creative courage are the guarantors of progress and sustainability. Wissenschaft im Dialog is committed to Science Communication that strengthens the resilience and sustainability of our society and helps our society to shape change in a sustainable way.' (translated from German)
The guiding principles of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) when it comes to Science Communication can be seen in a policy paper from 2019. It states: ‘The BMBF wants to enable and encourage researchers to communicate their findings to the general public and to engage in public debates, including on controversial social issues. To this end, existing reputational logics must be reconsidered within the framework of scientific self-administration while maintaining scientific excellence, and opportunities must be created to develop competences in science communication.’ (translated from German)
Material: (Scientific) communication often requires technical aids. Cameras, microphones, tripods, recording equipment, a sound or editing studio, special programmes, etc.. And these are also available on campus. However, very few people know exactly where. In the coming weeks, we will therefore be compiling information on our intranet pages about what is available where at the University of Bayreuth, who is responsible for the materials and, if necessary, how to borrow them and on what terms. Because we believe that this will make things much easier for everyone who actively uses Scicomm.
Monitoring in the online sector: In addition to detailed target group targeting, the main advantage of online marketing is the transparent possibilities for analysing the measures. These are carried out regularly and communicated to the relevant departments in the form of reports. The online editorial team is happy to provide scientists with advice and support.
The online marketing reporting provides information on the results and success of all measures taken and also shows the development of all important factors that determine the future course.
Before the start of the marketing measures, common goals and the target group (age, gender, regional/national/international etc.) are specifically defined with the client and everything is aligned accordingly (channels, content etc.).
Reporting in online marketing is based on the monitoring data collected automatically via tools. Google's Search Console is the basic tool for analysing the websites (access figures, access duration, etc.).
Contact: The online editorial team
For digital advertising campaigns (Facebook, Instagram), monitoring is carried out directly via the Meta Business Suite (impressions, link clicks, etc.) and for Google Ads via the Google Search Console (impressions, clicks, origin of access, CTR, etc.).
Contact: University Marketing
Do you have any questions/suggestions/hints on the subject of material? Info gladly to gert.meier@uni-bayreuth.de
There are plans to set up a Science Communication network at the University of Bayreuth. The aim is to establish a regular dialogue about the various challenges, goals and opportunities of Science Communication.
Possible topics:
- Why is the UBT launching a large-scale Science Communication training series?
- My most pressing questions about Science Communication
- I have an idea, but unfortunately no plan...
- How can the university help me with my Scicomm topic?
- Why do we actually need Scicomm activities in practice?
- I have a particularly good example of Science Communication
If you have any questions or suggestions, please get in touch with the contact person for Science Communication at UBT, Gert Dieter Meier (Tel. 55-5356, e-mail: gert.meier@uni-bayreuth.de)
Open questions on the topic? Please let us know what information you are still missing on the subject of Science Communication, what tips you still have or whether there are special topics that we should include in the planned training programme. Just send an e-mail to gert.meier@uni-bayreuth.de
Behind the three letters PMK is a dedicated team whose main task is internal and external communication. PMK stands for ‘Press, Marketing, Communication’. The service centre, based in the ZUV building, is the first point of contact for local, regional, national and international media of all kinds, it connects experts from the University of Bayreuth with the media, it takes care of student and university marketing and thus also of the University of Bayreuth brand.
PMK publishes the web magazine UBT aktuell, provides the university app, maintains, updates and revises the university's homepage, takes care of social media contributions, produces photos, videos and films and accompanies important dates and events and reports on them on various channels.
In terms of Science Communication, PMK is therefore a central point of contact for all researchers and students who want to leave the beaten track of communication behind and develop Science Communication in a new, different and target group-specific way. The best thing about it is that the team is so broadly based that it can provide information and advice on pretty much every aspect of Science Communication. You get:
- Support/tips for press releases
- Assistance with critical enquiries
- Key points for the organisation of press talks and conferences
- Support/coaching for TV and radio interviews
- Help with the development of websites
- Tips for the use of social media channels
- And you can also get information on important key figures relating to marketing, advertising costs, etc. here.
Where can you get more information? Click on the website of the PMK service centre or take a look at the intranet pages.
Quality: The principles of good scientific practice, together with the existing guidelines and agreements, already provide a basis for ensuring quality assurance in Science Communication. Criteria that are derived from this and to which good Science Communication is orientated are, for example
- Application of the principles of good scientific practice
- Trustworthiness, integrity, independence
- Transparency about intentions and conflicts of interest
- Benefit for science and society
- Comprehensibility towards society
- Openness to active dialogue with society
(Source: '#Factory WIsskommHandlungsperspektiven für die Wissenschaftskommunikation', Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), 2022, https://www.bmbf.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/files/factorywisskommpublikation.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=5)
Based on a definition by the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU), real-world laboratories are intended to 'facilitate co-creative exchange between science and practice.' This exchange 'aims at a joint understanding of problems, concept development, project processing and evaluation of results.' Researchers contribute 'their scientific knowledge, their methodological expertise and their ability to reflect and evaluate, which is less burdened by action than the practitioners, to the project. The practitioners, for their part, contribute specific experience and practical knowledge’ (WBGU 2016, 542). (translated from German)
One example of such a real-world laboratory is the 'Advisory Board for Sustainable and Urban Climate-Friendly Planning and Urban Development (Beirat für nachhaltige und stadtklimagagerechte Planung und Stadtentwicklung)', which was founded in Bayreuth at the end of December 2020. According to its statutes, its objective is to 'support the city council and its committees in all areas of urban development that could be of major importance to the urban climate by providing expert opinions and specialist expertise. This includes, in particular, numerous urban land-use planning procedures, informal urban development concepts (e.g. ISEK, framework plans), a large number of mobility and transport projects (especially for eco-mobility with pedestrian and bicycle traffic as well as public transport), individual concrete construction projects of city-wide importance and statutes with spatial effects (e.g. parking space statutes).' (translated from German). Since then, the advisory board has contributed important scientific expertise on many climate and spatial issues via several UBT professors and other representatives of social life, which can provide the members of the city administration and city council with important key points for a well-founded decision. Comparable approaches and projects also exist in the areas of mobility and urban development.
In this context, the 'Forum1.5' project, funded by the Bavarian State Ministry of the Environment and Consumer Protection, should also be mentioned in particular, which is taking on the key topics of urban transformation and rural transformation under the leadership of the Chair of Urban and Regional Development at the University of Bayreuth.
Schutz (in English: protection) from hostility and support: Populist campaigns, hate speech and even death threats - at home and abroad, researchers have been subject to massive attacks, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has even led some to no longer expose themselves to these attacks and therefore withdraw from public communication.
Empirically, however, little was previously known about the phenomenon of hostility towards science in Germany. A new representative survey of German academics now provides the first answers. It was conducted at the Deutsches Zentrum für Hochschul- und Wissenschaftsforschung (DZHW) in cooperation with the KAPAZ project network (‘ Kapazitäten und Kompetenzen im Umgang mit Hassrede und Wissenschaftsfeindlichkeit’). The results of the survey of a total of 2,600 academics show 'that hostility towards researchers is a serious problem. It by no means only affects professors, but people in all positions within the academic community,' says Clemens Blümel, who leads the survey as a researcher at the DZHW. 'The attacks don't always come from outside. There is also hostility and derogatory behaviour within academia itself.' (translated from German)
A guide to dealing with unobjective conflicts in Science Communication can be found here:
Schnelle Hilfe (in English: quick help): And what if there is also hostility towards researchers at the University of Bayreuth? In consultation with the experts at Scicomm-support, we recommend the following procedure:
1. First, inform the Office of Science Communication at the University of Bayreuth by calling 0921/55-5356 (email: gert.meier@uni-bayreuth.de). We guarantee that the information we receive from you will be treated confidentially.
2. The University of Bayreuth will then promptly contact the experts at scicomm-support to discuss further action and the involvement of law enforcement authorities or a law firm specialising in media law.
3. You will receive prompt feedback on all further recommended or necessary steps.
4. Of course, affected researchers are also free to call the Scicomm support hotline directly. It is available 365 days a year from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on 0157-92344804. In any case, you should also inform the University of Bayreuth! The nationwide hotline is managed by a changing team of permanent specialists and a large number of volunteers. The Scicomm support is a joint initiative of the Federal Association of University Communication and Wissenschaft im Dialog.
Here you can download the study 'Anfeindungen gegen Forschende':
There are many tips for successful Science Communication - but not always in a compact form. The European Space Agency has compiled a very compact to-do list for researchers that provides them with the most important advice for successful Science Communication (Source: wissenschaftskommunikation.de, the original in English: https://esahubble.org/about_us/scientist_guidelines/). And here is the abridged version:
Guide to press releases for scientists
'Press releases' are one of the main vehicles used by a communication office to inform the world about scientific advances. Naturally the results themselves should make a press release, but a few simple guidelines can help to make the release a success. Although the main target group for press releases is the press, press releases do reach further. Press releases communicate important information to decision-makers, other mediators, scientists and even to the public. It is critically important always to tailor the style, level and content of a press release to suit the needs of the press and not the secondary target groups mentioned.
2. The main goals of press releases
As with other types of public Science Communication the press release has to fulfil three main goals:
- To increase awareness of science and the scientific work process
- To increase awareness of the organisation
- To increase awareness of specific scientific projects, instruments or missions
3. Different types of press releases
Three significant, different types of releases exist:
- News release: focuses on one or more scientific discoveries
- Photo release: contains “pretty pictures”, but no big discovery
- Video release: Some news releases are accompanied by a Video News Release (VNR). A VNR is a press release in video form designed for use on broadcast television or on websites — as a news item or feature story. VNRs translate the printed word into the sound and pictures television newsrooms need.
In most cases any written release will be accompanied by high-quality photos and a video.
4. Visual support
Images, illustrations and visual design are key factors in successful Science Communication. The effort needed here can hardly be overemphasised. It is true that all good Science Communication is based on good science, but without good visuals the chances of selling the products vanish. Images have always been an integral part of science, but two factors have contributed to increase the importance of images in particular: the advent of computers and the continuing decrease in the attention span of the average human.
5. News criteria
How can the newsworthiness of a given scientific finding be judged?
Assess whether the story fulfils one or more of the following news criteria:
- Timing : The story is ‘news’ (the event has just taken place).
- Relevance : An issue that has direct or near-direct influence on people’s lives such as fatalities and material damage.
- Proximity : The story has local appeal or local interest (happened in the town or the country).
- Implications : A result that has profound consequences.
- Conflict : Settles a controversial debate or a much-debated topic that contains intrigues.
- Human interest : For instance 'Astronomer discovers new galaxies while raising three children and teaching women’s self-defence class in her spare time.'
- Mystery : A mysterious phenomenon, quirky details, an unexpected result or a chance discovery.
- Major science : Represents a major discovery of a new phenomenon or class of object or an incremental gain in knowledge about a principal field of research.
- New interesting angle : Twisting an old result in a new way, such as a new, better image that confirms a known result.
- A record : First, largest, most distant, fastest, oldest ….
- A sexy topic : Some topics almost always capture the attention of the public (despite not necessarily being great science) and therefore have a fast track to the headlines. Some examples from astronomy are: Solar System topics, space weather, black holes, extrasolar planets, extraterrestrial life, the future of the Earth and Sun and human spaceflight.
- Aesthetics : such as an exceptionally beautiful image.
- Publication in a distinguished journal : Results published in, for example, Nature or Science tend to attract more interest from journalists.
- Crosslinking : Letting a result piggyback on another news story in a related, parallel or even a remotely related field.
6. Checklist for scientists
Hot or Not?: If you think you have a good science result, check with the list of News Criteria above to see if your result is likely to interest the press and the public.
Be proactive: If your science fulfils one or more of these news criteria, do not hesitate to tell us about it. If we, here at ESA/Hubble, consider your story “hot” we can help you in many ways.
Create images: Some sort of eye-catching image or illustration to accompany the press release is practically mandatory. Work with us to create appealing and correct imagery
Add value: Many scientists like to make a more specialised webpage containing additional information, translations of the press release into other languages, additional images, graphs, technical movies etc. Scientists are sometimes in a better position to interface with local media and often have a much more detailed knowledge about them than us.
7. Some brief advice for science writing
Prepare properly: It is important to set boundary conditions regarding the topic, the length, the target group and the style.
Do your research: Start by answering the six golden questions: What? When? Where? Who?Why? and How? Scan the current scientific literature on the topic and review your own writing on the topic.
Simplify: A fundamental rule of written Science Communication is to make texts as simple as possible. Nowadays people simply do not have time for lengthy explanations.
Untersuchgungsgegenstand (in English: subject of research) Scicomm: Science Communication itself is also the subject of research. As part of the #FactoryWisskomm strategy process initiated by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), interdisciplinary research in the field of Science Communication was identified as a central field of action for the sustainable strengthening of Science Communication in Germany. Since the beginning of 2024, the BMBF has therefore been funding eleven projects on topics including artificial intelligence, dealing with scientific uncertainties, disinformation, Science Communication in a political context and developments in science journalism. In addition to gaining knowledge for research and practice, the funding guideline is intended to make research into Science Communication more visible to the public and promote an understanding of the relevance of Science Communication and how it works among the general public, according to the BMBF.
Videos are also becoming increasingly popular in the field of Science Communication. If you like it really wild and weird, take a look at TikTok. TikTok is particularly popular with young and very young people. But let's not kid ourselves: If you want to operate on TikTok, you should first familiarise yourself with the laws and mechanisms of this very special platform. And don't underestimate the effort involved. It often looks simple, but there is a lot behind it.
Things are much calmer and more objective (and sometimes unfortunately also more boring) on YouTube. You can also find what you are looking for in the media libraries of public television if you just enter the relevant names/keywords. ‘Leschs Kosmos’ or 'maiLab'/'MaiThinkX' provide cultivated, intelligent programmes that are also entertaining.
Science communication: The Allianz für Wissenschaftsorganisationen (in English: Alliance for Science Organisations) brings together the most important science and research organisations in Germany. The Alliance regularly comments on issues relating to science policy, research funding and the structural development of the German science system.This was also the case in a statement dated 26 May 2020 on the topic of Science Communication. The paper is reproduced below (translated from German, see also: https://www.allianz-der-wissenschaftsorganisationen.de/themen-stellungnahmen/10-punkte-plan-zur-wissenschaftskommunikation/)
10-point plan for Science Communication
(slightly abridged)
Preamble
Science and research are changing and shaping our everyday lives and our working world. They have an impact on the lives of every individual and our society, our political behaviour and our economic performance. They help us to understand social, political and cultural changes and problems and to develop solutions. Both the results of science and an understanding of how it works and arrives at its findings are therefore part of the foundation of an informed and decision-making society. Independent science journalism makes a significant contribution to this.
The fundamental change in the media and communication landscape presents science today with new challenges and at the same time opens up new opportunities. Digitalisation provides fast and direct access to scientific information and offers new opportunities for participation, transparency and exchange. Science can benefit from the possibilities of digital communication and gain new impulses. At the same time, the change also brings new challenges: the number of communication channels has multiplied and target groups have become more differentiated. Communication has changed, particularly as a result of social media: It is becoming more confusing, misinformation is spreading faster and the tone is occasionally harsher.
The Alliance of Science Organisations sees four fields of action in which it wants to become more involved and for which it has formulated recommendations for action. The recommendations aim to emphasise the importance of science in society, take into account societal expectations and perspectives on science, strengthen the communication skills of scientists and promote networking between the various stakeholders in Science Communication:
Field of action 1: Consider social relevance
Growing scepticism towards cultural and political institutions and also towards science jeopardises trust in science and its knowledge processes. The Alliance of Science Organisations therefore sees itself and all science organisations as having a duty to respond even more strongly to issues arising from advances in knowledge and the development of science. In future, it is necessary to increasingly address and emphasise those topics and aspects in communication that are of direct importance to society or on which there are public debates. To this end, science must broaden its perspective beyond purely scientific and science policy issues.
Field of action 2: Adopting the recipient's perspective
There is no such thing as the 'general public'. The digital transformation of the media and communication landscape makes the differentiation of target groups clearly visible. In order to better reach the various sub-publics, their expectations must be anticipated and their concerns, opinions and interests listened to. The Alliance of Science Organisations wants to anchor science even more broadly in society in order to dispel misrepresentations and myths about science.
Field of action 3: Strengthening communication skills
Communicating about their own research and findings must be part of the work of scientists. They are important ambassadors for communicating science and its results to society.
The Alliance of Science Organisations does not see communication as an 'add-on', or even as detrimental to a career, but - on the contrary - as an integral part of science that deserves to be valued. A corresponding culture of communication must be established in every scientific organisation.
Field of action 4: Promoting cooperation and networking
Partnerships between scientific institutions and between science and other national and international stakeholders from civil society, the media, culture, business and politics are important for strategic Science Communication and also have an impact on science. Overall, the potential of networking is far from exhausted, especially as digitalisation offers new options. The Alliance of Science Organisations wants to make greater use of the synergetic potential of partnerships in future.
Commitment and recommendations for action
The members of the Alliance are increasingly taking a stand on issues that affect society. To this end, they identify socially relevant scientific topics, such as issues relating to genetic engineering, vaccination, climate change or artificial intelligence, and contribute their positions to the public debate.
The members of the Alliance are making it even clearer how the scientific knowledge process takes place, what role scientific freedom plays, what provisionality and polyphony mean in science and who the people behind science and research are. In this way, they promote greater understanding of the processes, conditions, necessities and limits of science.
The members of the Alliance will [...] take greater account of the recipient perspective and link their communication to the respective lifeworlds. They will further develop and implement formats and instruments accordingly.
The members of the alliance will focus on increasing the presence of science in audiovisual media and fictional formats in order to reach a larger audience. In addition, they will strive for joint representation in broadcasting and media councils in order to raise awareness of scientific content in programmes in these committees.
The members of the Alliance support the individual commitment of scientists in both traditional and social media. They will promote this more strongly and integrate it into their own Science Communication.
The members of the Alliance will work towards ensuring that the communication of scientific topics is anchored in academic training and at all career stages of the scientific career as a fixed component of training and further education for scientists in the future.
The members of the Alliance will create time and financial resources so that researchers can integrate communication tasks into their everyday scientific work. To this end, they recommend incentive and reward systems for communication services within the institutions.
The members of the Alliance are committed to securing long-term funding for communication activities in the institutions in order to ensure sustainable Science Communication.
The members of the Alliance will intensify regular dialogue with each other in order to identify topics at an earlier stage and implement joint communication activities.
The members of the Alliance will intensify the national and international exchange on research and best practice in Science Communication.
X, which used to be called Twitter, is also a popular channel for Science Communication - probably also because the basic version is free. The platform ‘Wissenschaftskommunikation.de’ explains why it is worth using X as follows: ‘Once you have a broad base of followers, you can disseminate your own content and news very quickly and cost-effectively. A link inserted in the post can be used to refer to another page that goes into the topic in more depth. In this way, information about your own events, lectures or research results can be disseminated efficiently and news about ongoing research can be easily followed.’ (translated from German)
Examples?
@scienceMIT (MIT School of Science)
@DLR_next (DLR Next)
@SaSuperbugs (Superheroes against Superbugs)
Would you like to see a good example of sophisticated and creative Science Communication on YouTube? I really like the ‘100 seconds of physics’ programme (probably also because I don't know much about this subject otherwise, unfortunately). At https://www.youtube.com/user/100sekundenphysik, even complex issues are explained and illustrated well. Exciting!
Another exciting project: How many people can fit into a hotel that has an infinite number of rooms? An infinite number? See for yourself - and watch this episode of ‘Veritasium’ on YouTube, like some 29 million people before you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxGsU8oIWjY
Potential Zielgruppen (in English: target groups) for scientists include:
- Stakeholders in the scientific community (from researchers and teachers, their universities and institutes to communicators and funding organisations)
- Stakeholders in the school education system (to better communicate basic knowledge/results about the scientific process)
- Media (from journalists to influencers and bloggers)
- Science-related institutions (museums, adult education centres, libraries, institutes)
- Politics (parliaments, ministries, administration)
- Civil society (citizens, clubs, associations, educational initiatives, etc.)