Communicating Science in the Digital and Social Media Ecosystem: Scoping Review and Typology of Strategies Used by Health Scientists.

Guillaume Fontaine,Tanya Mailhot,Julien Bouix-Picasso,Anne Bourbonnais,Marc-André Maheu-Cadotte,Andréane Lavallée,Geneviève Rouleau

doi:10.2196/14447

Abstract

BackgroundThe public’s understanding of science can be influential in a wide range of areas related to public health, including policy making and self-care. Through the digital and social media ecosystem, health scientists play a growing role in public science communication (SC).ObjectiveThis review aimed to (1) synthesize the literature on SC initiated by health scientists targeting the public in the digital and social media ecosystem and (2) describe the SC strategies and communication channels used.MethodsThis scoping review was based on the Joanna Briggs Institute Methodological Framework. A systematic search was performed in 6 databases (January 2000 to April 2018). Title and abstract screening, full-text review, data charting, and critical appraisal were performed independently by two review authors. Data regarding included studies and communication channels were synthesized descriptively. A typology of SC strategies was developed using a qualitative and inductive method of data synthesis.ResultsAmong 960 unique publications identified, 18 met inclusion criteria. A third of publications scored good quality (6/18, 33%), half scored moderate quality (9/18, 50%), and less than a fifth scored low quality (3/18, 16%). Overall, 75 SC strategies used by health scientists were identified. These were grouped into 9 types: content, credibility, engagement, intention, linguistics, planification, presentation, social exchange, and statistics. A total of 5 types of communication channels were identified: social networking platforms (eg, Twitter), content-sharing platforms (eg, YouTube), digital research communities (eg, ResearchGate), personal blogs and websites (eg, WordPress), and social news aggregation and discussion platforms (eg, Reddit).ConclusionsEvidence suggests that multiple types of SC strategies and communication channels are used by health scientists concurrently. Few empirical studies have been conducted on SC by health scientists in the digital and social media ecosystem. Future studies should examine the appropriateness and effectiveness of SC strategies for improving public health–related outcomes and identify the barriers, facilitators, and ethical considerations inherent to the involvement of health scientists in the digital and social media ecosystem.

Highlights

BackgroundThe public’s understanding of science can be influential in a wide range of areas related to public health, including policy making and self-care [1,2]
Evidence suggests that multiple types of science communication (SC) strategies and communication channels are used by health scientists concurrently
Few empirical studies have been conducted on SC by health scientists in the digital and social media ecosystem

Summary

Introduction

BackgroundThe public’s understanding of science can be influential in a wide range of areas related to public health, including policy making and self-care [1,2]. Some organizations suggest scientists should use their expertise and influence to communicate science in the digital and social media ecosystem to change people’s health-related attitudes, behaviors, and policy preferences [4]. This task is complexified by the prevalence of misinformation on social media and the ease with which this content can be propagated to audiences targeted by increasingly sophisticated algorithms [3]. Science communication (SC), in the context of health sciences, is a process of knowledge exchange about health-related scientific information or viewpoints [4]. Through the digital and social media ecosystem, health scientists play a growing role in public science communication (SC)

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