SciComm Newsletter

Scientists and medical professionals can all walk the walk in the lab, the patient room or the classroom, but it's the talking part that can be difficult. That's why we are here every month with tips, techniques and training to help you talk the talk.

Fifty-four percent of Americans read at a sixth-grade reading level or lower according to a Gallup poll.

Why does that matter for science communication? Because low literate adults are four times more likely to report low levels of health and need hospitalization at higher rates.

That means the people who could benefit the most from your health recommendations or latest research findings aren’t picking up Nature or The New England Journal of Medicine. To make an impact, you’ll need to meet them where they are – at a sixth-grade reading level. 

The paragraph above is written at a twelfth grade reading level. Want to check your own writing? Try the Hemingway App.

Skype a Scientist

Want to talk to students about your research? Skype a Scientist gives you the opportunity to connect with students and the public around the world.

Find out more here.

Where science and arts meet

Online poetry and art journal Consilience will begin accepting submissions for its next issue on Jan. 8. The journal “provides a platform for people to write poems and create artwork about science, however that might be interpreted.” The theme for the next issue is ‘Colour.’

Learn more about the journal and how to submit your work.

Your department finally has its own social media account. Now what?

Running a departmental or institutional social media account can be a little different than a personal account. Should you share your cat pictures on an account dedicated to research? How often should you post? Can you delete mean comments?

Get those answers and more in the revamped Social Media Guide available here.

For more web and social media tools, tips and training, go here 

Have a social media account but don't know what to post? Try our handy social media idea dartboard. Pick a square and start sharing.

(Tip: Don't actually throw darts at your computer screen. If you want a black and white version that you can print and hang in your office, download one now!)

Download a copy for your office here

Virtual Media Training - Dec. 5, 2023 Understanding the media: A starter guide for scientists: Learn more

Online Workshop - Dec. 19 - 20, 2023 Effective Communication with the General Public about Scientific Research that Requires the Care and Use of Animals: Learn more

Conference April 10 - 12, 2024 - The International Symposium on Public Communication of Science and Technology 2024 and IX National Colloquium on Science Recreation will be held in Zacatecas, Mexico: Learn more

Dive deep into the science of science communication with the following news articles, scientific papers and podcasts:

The Contextualization Deficit: Reframing Trust in Science for Multilateral Policy

Challenges of trust and communication in science

What I learned from embedding as a journalist in a science institution

Should scientists include their race, gender, or other personal details in papers?

Missed an issue of Talk the Talk? Find previous newsletters here.

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