Picture this. You’re a scientist whose job it is to do research in a lab. You spent probably far too many hours in the lab each week than you should, plus when you get home there is more data analysis and writing to do. There simply just does not seem like there is enough time in the day to get everything done.
And now to make matters worse, you have been asked to talk on camera for a video your lab are doing, or you need to prepare for a media interview about your research and career, or you’ve been asked to give a talk at the school open day that’s coming up. Whatever the request, it means that you have to spend time out of the lab rather than doing your actual work. It’s frustrating, and if you are anything like me you would be kicking up a fuss to try and get out of anything related to science communication.
This was me. Half way through my PhD I was required to do some science communication and I cannot tell you how much I complained. I didn’t see the point, I didn’t know why I needed to do it and tried everything to get out of it.
I failed at that, but boy am I glad that I did. Since that moment in 2016, I have been on the most incredible science communication voyage of discovery and now I work as a science communicator full time. I have flipped a full 180 and gone from ‘why do we need to do science communication’ to ‘why isn’t everyone doing science communication’. And once I discovered it, you couldn’t stop me.
Science communication is a skill you can learn, but it is something that you need to invest time, effort and sometimes money into, but I cannot express enough how important it is.
Whether you are a reluctant researcher, an enthusiastic PhD student trying to convince your supervisor that you should be given more time to do scicomm, or a non-scientist thinking why on earth you should engage, I wanted to share just 9 of the hundreds of possible reasons why you should be doing, or at least try out, science communication.
This post was originally a podcast episode. You can listen below or scroll on to keep reading!
Be a role model in STEM
This one has always been really important for me and still is a key part of why I do science communication. I grew up in the South West of Wales and the closest I got to a scientist or a science festival or anything like that was my school science teachers, or maybe a trip to the doctor or dentist. There wasn’t really anything like that anywhere near me. So it was important for me to show that people like me could do science as a day job, and now I want to show people the kinds of jobs you can have within science. It’s not just about the research and the discoveries but there are so many other cogs in that engine, and I hope that others will learn that there are options for science careers for them even if that isn’t research.
And it goes far beyond that, no matter how you identify, what your interests are and so on, it is so so important that others can see what people like them can achieve and their voices can be heard. You can help inspire the next generation of scientists and STEM professionals.
Improve trust in science and fight misinformation
By adding that ‘human’ element to science communication, it makes science and STEM more relatable to non-scientists and non-experts. By getting involved in science communication, you are helping to put a friendly face to science and building that trust with whoever you interact with. We are facing a tide of misinformation right now, and by doing scicomm you can help fight that. You might shed light on the processes and the timelines that go into one scientific discovery, or you might help teach someone how to check if a piece of information is accurate. This and more is going to help make sure that the public are getting the right information and they know they can get that from trusted experts.
Improve your communication skills to have a more impactful (research) career
Having the skills to be a strong communicator is going to help you in your STEM career whether that is a research role or not. If you can deliver more captivating conference talks, or more visually accessible posters, even write powerfully about your research idea in your next funding proposal. That is all going to help you become more impactful and successful. There have even been studies that have shown that if you tweet about your publication, that it is more likely to get cited by others.
As a PhD student, I also found that doing science communication helped me to get a better grasp of what I was doing and why, because if I could explain it to the person I was having a conversation with in the pub, then it showed that I really understood what I was trying to do. Being able to have those conversations with non-scientists could also help shape your research. You would get to know what society is interested in related to your research topics, what their concerns may be and adjust your research accordingly. And all of this is just going to help you become more confident in your abilities too!
Empower debate and curiosity about science
One thing I am really passionate about is the way we teach science in schools, and the way people see science. Science is often seen as having to memorise a load of facts, when in fact it is more of a method of discovery and asking questions. Many people think science stops at school if you don’t go onto study it further at university, but I am passionate about helping everyone to realise that science is around them every day and it is central to our every day lives and so we should take an interest because it is directly relevant to us. Everything from healthcare, to cooking our meals, to operating our smart devices to listen to podcasts like this, to the reasons why you get certain species of bird in your back garden and endless other examples.
Doing science communication can help change the way people think about science and get a better appreciation for it. But it is also vital to share that science doesn’t have all the answers. Scientists are always finding new pieces of the jigsaw and trying to find the right place for it to fit into the puzzle. Sometimes there is no right or wrong answer to a problem so encouraging safe spaces for people to share and debate thoughts is crucial.
Money and funding
I mentioned earlier that having communication skills is going to help you pitch your case to get funding for your next research project. But also most research is publicly funded. Because of that, the public have a right to know how that money is being spend and what it is contributing to. Funders might also want to know where their money is being spent and how, and research institutes need to be able to show their impact also.
The amount of money that different research areas can get can also be influenced by public interest in a topic. So, by doing science communication about the technology you are developing to clean up our oceans for example, that could generate a lot of public interest, and the field could be given a bigger slice of the pie to further advance what you are doing.
Explore other STEM career alternatives
Another reason that was actually really important for me. I didn’t even know that science communication was a career option a matter of years ago, and academia and research isn’t for everyone. Science communication allowed me to experiment with what I wanted in a science career that wasn’t in a lab. It helped me to gain experience and skills I needed to get those jobs. And it can do the same for you too.
Share your impact and create societal change
A prime example of this is science policy. The research you do in the lab can be used as evidence for the government, at least here in the UK and I imagine in many other countries too. The evidence you could present to parliament is going to allow those with such power to make recommendations or changes to many things in our lives, or even influence changes in the law. Like how a particular drug could be used to treat a new disease without a current treatment option. Or the development of electric car engines that are more efficient and more environmentally friendly.
Expand your network
Doing science communication of any kind means you get to meet many other people. This could be other scientists who might end up offering you a job, or you might work together on a collaboration. You can meet other science communicators and learn more tips and tricks from them and others who can put you up for opportunities. You get to meet with other non-scientist audiences and you can build relationships with them that could help you kickstart another scicomm project and so much more. The network you can create from doing science communication can help you with so many different things from jobs, to moral support and beyond.
It’s fun!
Getting to talk to new people about what you are doing, getting to learn new skills to share your science in fun and creative ways, the places you get to go, the opportunities you can create. Yes it costs time and money but the rewards and benefits are incomparable if you ask me.
There are so many more reasons I could share. Everyone will have a different reason, but there is always a benefit to getting involved with science communication no matter who you are. The crucial thing is that you know why YOU want to do science communication, and that is what I want to help you with in the final part of this post, as per the DIY section of my podcast. Here’s how:
It is your job to work out which of these motivations is most important to you and your situation, but crucially – why! For me, one of the most important tools you can have in your scicomm toolkit is your why. It can of course change and evolve through time, mine certainly has, but really hammering down on exactly why you want to do science communication is what is going to keep you motivated.
So, to help you find that real why that is going to keep you motivated and be a core tool in your scicomm toolkit, I want to introduce you to an exercise that my wonderful friend Prasha from Her STEM Story introduced me to called 7 Levels Deep.
By doing this exercise and really understanding your why for doing science communication is what is going to keep you motivated and most importantly inspire you to take action. I for one am very guilty of having an idea and just sitting on it for years, my podcast is one example of that. But sitting on that idea isn’t helping me to improve my audio editing skills, or help me add some new tricks to my CV, or improve my interviewing skills and my scicomm as a whole. Making that really personal connection to science communication is what is going to keep you coming back.
So once you have done that exercise, I want you to get yourself a piece of paper, or a post it note, or grab your journal. I want you to write out YOUR why for doing science communication on it and put it somewhere you will see it everyday. Stick it on your mirror, or your desk at work, write it at the top of your journal every day or week, hell even turn it into the wallpaper for your phone. Put it somewhere so it can be a reminder to you of why you are doing it for when things get a little challenging.
There are countless other reasons why you should do science communication. I would love it if you wanted to share your why in the comments below, or as an Instagram post or blog post. Share it with me. I would love to hear yours.
If you want to learn more about how to do science communication and where to even start you can check out my SciComm Toolkit podcast. It can be found wherever you find your podcasts.
This post is a part of a mini series called SciComm Foundations. It covers the why and the what, the who, the where, when and the how of doing science communication. They are available as blogs, but also all available as podcast episodes in Season 1 of my podcast The SciComm Toolkit. On the podcast page, you can also find all the resources that will give you the tools you need to build YOUR scicomm toolkit.