How to Be a Better Scientist

Abstract

This edition focuses on another facet of being an effective scientist for which we may not have received formal training during our graduate programs and which may cause us quite a bit of anxiety (or even panic in some cases): scientific communication. As professional scientists, we are primarily trained to talk to and write for other scientists; think of the numerous presentations you have given at scientific conferences or the papers you have published in peer-reviewed journals. But from what sources do people commonly get their information? Hint: for nonscientists, it is typically not journal articles. As a graduate student, I convinced myself that if I could tell my family about my research and its importance during family gatherings and they understood it (or at least enough of it that they could argue with me), then I had been an effective science communicator. In hindsight, this was obviously a bit of an oversimplification. If we as scientists want to be part of important conversations, from challenges with global climate and land use change to scientific funding to local or regional natural resources management and restoration strategies, we need to be able to effectively communicate with diverse audiences: policy-makers; municipal, state, and federal governmental units; natural resources managers; funding agencies; environmental to industrial stakeholder groups; and concerned citizens. Luckily in the past decade, there has been a strong emphasis on science communication training within scientific societies, including ASLO. I asked ASLO members for recommendations on science communication training resources; the results follow below. Baron, N. 2010. Escape from the ivory tower: A guide to making your science matter, 2nd edition. Island Press. The book does a really nice job reminding scientists that not everyone speaks our language, has the same goals in life, or spends 40+ hours a week doing science. If you want to reach outside your typical sphere of influence, you will need a different set of skills, and a fresh perspective on the audience you are trying to reach—Elisha Wood-Charlson, Biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA. Alda, A. 2017. If I understood you, would I have this look on my face? My adventures in the art and science of relating and communicating. Random House. Alan Alda does an amazing, and hilarious, job of understanding the nuances in communication—verbal and nonverbal. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to connect better—Elisha Wood-Charlson, Biosciences, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA. Hayes, R., and D. Grossman. 2006. A scientist's guide to talking with the media: Practical advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists. Rutgers Univ. Press. As a practicing science communicator, public information officer, and editor, I recommend A Scientist's Guide to Talking with the Media: Practical Advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists by Richard Hayes and Daniel Grossman. The 170-page book is a resource for how scientists can engage media to raise awareness of scientific research and thought. It is not flashy or cutesy; it is practical, and it works by offering advice tailored to the needs and constraints of both scientists and journalists—Marie Thoms, Minnesota Sea Grant, Duluth, MN. Evans, M. C., and C. Cvitanovic. 2018. An introduction to achieving policy impact for early career researchers. Palgrave Commun. 4: 88. Available from https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-018-0144-2. I recommend the article because it offers concrete, actionable steps that early career scientists can take to engage in policy—Michelle McCrackin, Baltic Eye, Baltic Sea Center, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden. Looking for some more resources on science communication? The L&O Bulletin has compiled two virtual issues related to this topic: Spotlight on Science Communication, which includes book reviews of Houston, We Have a Narrative by Randy Olson and Connection: Hollywood Storytelling Meets Critical Thinking by Randy Olson, Dorie Barton, and Brain Palermo; and Science Meets Policy: How To's and Success Stories. Both virtual issues can be found under the virtual issues tab of the L&O Bulletin homepage (https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15396088/). Interested in more formal training in science communication? Check out The Flame Challenge from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University (https://www.aldacenter.org/outreach/flame-challenge). Thanks to Clayton Williams from University of Vermont, Burlington, VT for the recommendation. For the next edition, I will focus on another critical aspect of being a better scientist for which we typically do not receive much formal training: undergraduate and graduate student mentoring. This column is appearing as a trial run in 2019 issues of the L&O Bulletin. If you have any thoughts or critiques of this column, or suggestions for additional resources on this topic or for topics to cover in future issues, please feel free to contact me. You can email me at filstrup@aslo.org or tweet me @ctfilstrup. Please be sure to tag the L&O Bulletin (#ASLO_Bulletin) in your tweets.