Why Effective Science Communication is the Lifeblood of Good Science
Science, whether it be new discoveries or teaching a well-establish concept, needs to be communicated properly. It is up to scientists to ensure their information is communicated correctly for their intended audience.
One of the critical missteps of science in the modern age is the breakdown of efficient and concise communication to non-science educated audiences. Often times, people that are very proficient in a topic miss the opportunity to teach others because they lack the understanding of how to reach people who don’t have the same education and understanding as they do.
In this article we are taking a look at just what exactly science communication is, why it is important, and how it can be made better. Without good science communication, as scientific understanding continues to increase, the gulf between scientists and non-scientists will grow along with it.
This widening gap between scientists and general public will continue to cause various problems in peoples’ lives. Therefore, it is for the betterment of everyone that science communication be improved.
What is Science Communication?
Science communication is the act of disseminating scientific knowledge to various audiences. While this is a decent definition, it can be broken down further.
Examples of scientific communication can range from two scientists exchanging information about an experiment to a scientific journal seeking to convey information to the general public. It is important to be aware of the audience when communicating effectively, this is very true for the field of science.
In general, there are various sources of scientific information that are intended for different audiences. Scientific papers and advanced textbooks are meant for scientists or people with a firm scientific background. General textbooks, blogs, and news journals are meant for a less science-versed audience.
Good science communication is done in a manner that helps people understand a scientific topic while offering supporting information to ensure the audience understands the underlying principles as well.
Why is Science Communication Important?
The importance of science communication is something that should not be taken lightly. Someone that is uneducated in a science topic might find themselves in danger of being harmed by something they didn’t know was dangerous.
Whether it be installing a machine part incorrectly or using a hazardous cleaning material, having a solid understanding of science can be very beneficial.
Furthermore, good science communication impacts everyone in the form of governmental policies and politics. Without a clear and concise source of scientific understanding, politicians and organizations might make disastrous choices that could pose cascading impacts to communities and individuals.
Climate change and its impacts is a perfect example in mainstream news that shows how important science communication is. There is more misinformation regarding climate change than many other scientific topics in the news today.
Environmental importance and health are other topics where science communication is in need of drastic improvements. The scientific information provided regarding the environment is oftentimes unfocused and incomplete.
As previously mentioned, we are at a point where scientific understanding is advancing faster than it ever has. This acceleration of scientific information is increasing the gap between people who are educated in science and those that are less educated.
Improving science communication is important to ensure the gap in knowledge gets smaller not larger. Increased scientific knowledge improves your understanding of the world and can help make your life more fulfilling.
To ensure the cohesion of our societies moving into the ever scientifically advancing future, establishing good effective science communication is of the utmost importance.
How Can Science Communication Be Improved?
Improving science communication is not as hard as it might sound. It involves knowing your audience and their education level. Providing basic supporting information for more advanced topics to ensure a strong knowledge foundation. Being clear and concise and teaching how your information personally effects your audience.
Information exchanged between two scientists is going to look and sound very different than information intended for non-scientists. For this reason, generally speaking, it is crucial that communication be tailored to the audience’s education level.
People often feel put off or even discouraged and frustrated when they are unable to understand a topic in science they want to learn. When information is not presented in an accessible way, people may become unmotivated to pursue learning about science.
One of the most common reasons for a disconnect in understanding is an explanation that is more advanced than it needs to be for the audience in question. Information on scientific topics should be adequately distilled for the intended audience while still preserving the integrity and focus of the topic.
To help resolve the issue of foundational issues in science, it is helpful to explain aspects of the topic a trained scientist might think is easy in more detail. It might seem unnecessary, but it is very important to take the time to brush up on related information if a topic is hard to grasp.
Lastly, people care most about things that impact them or their loved ones directly. For this reason, good science communication should have an emotional connection that conveys why your audience should care.
Without making the topic personally relevant to people, there is an increased chance they will not care about the information.
Science communication has never been easier than it is right now. It is up to scientists and educators to provide good science communication. Additionally, it is up to diverse audiences to demand a certain standard of quality science communication.