Self-described characteristics and competencies of highly-sought science communicators, and recommendations for future training opportunities

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2020-12

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Abstract

Citizens interact with science on a nearly daily basis, yet their understanding and opinions of scientific issues are formed with little science information. Science communication literature has called for scientists to take a more active role in engaging with the public through science communication efforts. However, scientists face demands and challenges that dissuade or prevent them from engaging in genuine communication efforts with a lay audience, including a lack of training. There has been an identified need for increased training programs for science communicators and students, but only a small number of programs currently exist. The purpose of this study was to identify the self-described competencies and skills of sought after science communicators in agricultural disciplines at Texas Tech University (TTU), identify demands faced by scientists, and to develop foundations for future science communications training curriculum at the university level. I performed a descriptive, qualitative study consisting of semi-structured in-depth interviews with 10 sought after scientists at TTU. These scientists are frequently sought after for media interviews and their communication efforts, and a criterion sampling strategy was used to identify sought after communicators. The results of this study indicated that sought after scientists possess proficient skills in audience awareness and connection/relevancy building. Scientists believed that their ability to read audience cues, adapt messages fluidly based on audience feedback, and incorporating storytelling elements made them particularly effective communicators. Additionally, this study found that major demands faced by scientists include time constraints and academic value, and those demands inhibit genuine science communication efforts. Finally, recommendations regarding pedagogical foundations and subject matter content were developed for implementation in future science communication coursework at TTU.

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Keywords

Science communication, Agricultural communication, Effective communication, Constructivism theory, Curriculum research framework

Citation