Combatting Misinformation through Science Communication Training

Abstract

As the dual crises of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and worsening climate change show, the public must be accurately informed about science. However, many barriers hinder effective messaging about science to the public, including little formal communication training for scientists and an abundance of misleading information from nonscientific sources. Being able to communicate with the public is a vital skill that should be a formal component of scientific training. Here, we synthesize the rationale for incorporating public science communication into undergraduate biology programs and provide specific examples of curriculum efforts to improve undergraduates’ skills in this area. We review the literature about the importance of communicating scientific concepts to the public and previous efforts to integrate communication into biology curricula. Next, we provide examples of two courses aimed at developing public science communication skills and describe their integration into an undergraduate biology curriculum. We conclude with future directions and recommendations.