Posts

A Newsletter for Science Communication

I've been thinking about how to use my blog and online spaces. I spend a lot of time consuming science communication and public engagement news, updates and discussion across all of the social networks. I have little time to blog but I realised that there is a big gap - as nowhere pulls all of this news and information together regularly.  So, I am launching a newsletter for science communication news.  The aim is to bring together science communication news from around the globe, including events, journal articles, events and podcasts.  It's for anyone that practices science communication or studies it or has any vague interest in it whatsoever.  You can sign up here . It's free. It will be in plain text. It will work on mobile. Simple!  The first newsletter will arrive on Tuesday 29 Sept. Then it will be weekly from that point.  I've been quiet as I am returning to work from maternity leave. Stepping away from work always allows some time to reflect. I ha...

Creating meaningful engagement via social media

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In November I created a poster for the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement ENGAGE Conference  . It was designed for the 'poster encounter' session which they run every year and summarised my top 10 for social media engagement, taken from my Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship. As lots of people were interested in taking a photo of my poster I thought I should share it on my blog too. I've also supported the NCCPE in creating their WHAT WORKS Guide to Engaging the Public through Social Media and my Fellowship Report also supported the creation of this. It launched in November and it's a great guide which covers the main networks, content generation and evaluation. Well worth a read if you are interested in social media for engagement. In 2019 I will be launching a number of citizen science projects and using social media as a tool and a support network to do this. Follow what I am up to at the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science ...

Public Engagement, Outreach and Science Communication Jargon

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I've created a Jargon Buster tool for an exercise I ran with PGRs, researchers, administrators and technical staff. As there isn't a place that these terms come together I thought others might find it useful. Happy to hear any alternative descriptors and arguments about the definitions are welcome. JARGON BUSTER Public Engagement "Public engagement describes the myriad of ways in which the activity and benefits of higher education and research can be shared with the public. Engagement is by definition a two-way process, involving interaction and listening, with the goal of generating mutual benefit." National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (2018, Oct 16). What is Public Engagement? Retrieved from http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/about-engagement/what-public-engagement Outreach   “a one-way discourse, in which scientists communicate their research to the general public, with particular focus on school children and young people.” Illin...

Reflections on 'The Art of Gathering' for those in Public Engagement

I've just finished reading 'The Art of Gathering' by Pryia Parker. It's a must read for anyone who is interested in gathering people together - for work and for social. The book made me think in lots of ways about how I gather people in my life (something I love to do) but here I am going to reflect on how it might reinvigorate some of the ways in which I approach public engagement activities and gatherings. The book isn't about public engagement, it's about gathering as a general topic but the ideas can be applied to any gathering. Not all of the thoughts in the book were completely new to me but these are the ones that I thought were of particular importance for everyone involved in creating engagement experiences that bring together the public and research. I've got to extend a massive thank you to Lou Woodley for the recommendation to read the book. The book is set out over eight chapters, which logically follow the path you take when planning a g...

A big list of ways people communicate science to public audiences

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I have promised myself that this year I will be better at sharing information, documents and general things that I have created for training, conference sessions or just for fun.To start 2018, here is a list of different formats in which people communicate science through events. I used it for a discussion with Masters students about the many different forms science communication can take. The list started life as a local one but I am keen to include more international examples. I have included links where appropriate so people can find out more information. Have I missed any? I expect I have... Talks, comedy and storytelling  Lectures  - still an important way of communicating science  Café Scientifique (and Café MED , if you are in Aberdeen) Bright Club comedy  The Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas Nerd Nite Skeptics in the Pub Sci-bar Pint of Science Soapbox science Speed science The Story Collider – science storytelling (and there is a great podcast)...

Connecting scientists and the public in online dialogues about science

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My Churchill Trust Travel Fellowship Report, Connecting scientists and the public in online dialogues about science has now been published . Social media offers much promise for the engagement of new global audiences. This report summarises my journey to the USA, Canada, China and Japan and includes useful observations, tips and case studies for those looking to connect the public with science via online platforms. In theory, social media has the potential to break down barriers and open channels of communication between people of every background and profession on a global scale. Online networks also have a huge potential to democratise many areas, especially academic scientific research. It can allow the public access behind previously closed doors and into restricted spaces through the use of video and images. Importantly, it offers and the opportunity for two-way conversations with global audiences no matter where the research is being conducted. I travelled to the USA, Cana...

Are doctoral candidates switched on to the impact of social media?

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Early in 2015 I conducted a bit of research about social media use at my institution (the University of Aberdeen). It was presented at the UK Council for Graduate Education, 2nd International Conference on Developments in Doctoral Education & Training Conference in 2015. I wrote up the findings and they were recently published in the proceedings. There are interesting papers covering all different areas of graduate training. The abstract for my paper is below and you can download the proceedings (my paper is on page 93).   by    Jhaymesisviphotography Are doctoral candidates switched on to the impact of social media?  Dr Heather Doran* and Dr Kenneth D. Skeldon *Corresponding author, University of Aberdeen, King’s College, Regent Walk, Old Aberdeen, AB24 3FX Abstract It might be assumed that today’s doctoral students are aware of and active in the use of social media tools in the course of their work. Here we question whether doctoral ...