Communicating Science

It has only been in the last year or so that I, as a PhD student researcher, have become interested and passionate about science communication. To be honest, until then, #scicomm was unheard of to me - I was a scientist solely focussing on my research, and not considering its wider implications, or the importance of spreading the word about science and engaging my 'non-sciencey' friends. 

As one of the main underlying goals of my blog is to communicate science simply and honestly, I wanted to write a post about the importance of good science communication in all walks of life, be it a chat in the pub, or via social media.

But, rather than rambling for a few paragraphs, I took to twitter to hear from some science communicators across a number of scientific fields, and asked them 'Why is #scicomm important?'

'I think #scicomm is important as it allows the correct information to reach audiences only reading skewed media articles' 

- @DeborahPrudham, Microbiology

'There seems to be a growing divide between those within scientific community and those outside. Need to bridge' 

- @ScienceAdvocacyLI, Science Advocacy

'It enables members of the public to ask questions in an inclusive and accepting environment, improves the way researchers communicate, can increase accountability of researchers and therefore increase public trust in what we do and why' 

- @Heidirgardner, Participant Recruitment

'#scicomm is so important to demystify science for general public. Science impacts everyone, so should be accessible to everyone' 

- @Maryemcmillan, Genetics

'#scicomm is also important as just being a fun way to get out and share cool stuff you're doing' 

- @Joshkking, Science Communication 

'Telling stories = absolutely critical to making people care. If you're not doing science for a living it is hard to relate to Eppendorf tubes and error bars. Much easier to galvanize people around narrative' 

- @_SpectrumFM_, STEM

'Good #scicomm informs and excites audiences, helps people make better decisions, understand the world, and feel curious. And scientists who do it become better thinkers and communicators, and consider topics they might be 'experts' in in a new light' 

- @RoHendricks, Cognitive Science

I think these guys have done a fantastic job of summarising my thoughts on this subject - #scicomm is great as it bridges the gap between scientists and the public and allows overly complex information to become accessible without losing meaning. 

Thank you so much to everyone who replied, liked, retweeted, or if you are even reading this post. The response was really great to read and much appreciated! Why not continue the discussion in the comments below?