Scientists: Wake Up and Communicate!

In this opinion article on science communication, the author acknowledges the importance of scientists' 'engagement' activities, like keeping policymakers informed of science and technology advances and stimulating science curiosity in the young. She describes how former barriers have given way to examples of increased communication of the sciences.


The author describes barriers like a "top-down" approach to science communication in South Africa that leaves little communication-dedicated funding or incentives. However, she describes changing attitudes, in some cases inspired by national funding requirements to get research findings 'back to the community'. For example, "a tuberculosis initiative supported by the South African National Research Foundation has run informative, interactive and fun sports days for communities in the Western Cape....The annual SciFest Africa and nationwide science weeks organised by the South African Department of Science and Technology are also promoting engagement between scientists, science communicators and even some politicians. Science centres and festivals can serve as intermediaries and are excellent ways to establish sustainable opportunities for dialogue between scientists and the public....Charismatic animals, for example, catch people's imaginations and can be used to help examine broader environmental and global issues. Successful public engagement here has included research on leopard toads, dolphins, tortoises and even sharks and vultures."

For topics that have direct importance to policy makers, such as water and food resources and public health, the author states that scientists have sometimes been encouraged to publish relevant evidence-based policy documents by making publication a performance measure linked to bonuses and promotion.

The author explores how scientists can be pro-active about communication. She recommends forming networks beyond one's own specialisation, using science centres and the research translation offices of funding agencies for avenues of dissemination of communication, and establishing lobbying groups to promote the value of sharing research in accessible language. She stresses raising awareness of the need to fund engagement activities. Another suggested approach to solving language barriers is training 'home-language' facilitators, which might mean that, for example, trained Zulu speakers can be available at science centres to bring science research knowledge before the public in an accessible language. Engagement strategies such as these could be made available to colleagues at conferences. Scientist/communicators might also share lists of other scientists as speakers when engaging politicians or the public. Further, use of information and communication technologies for public engagement might be explored through share-ware resources that the public can access without charge. The article concludes that scientists in the developing world should begin involving themselves more actively in engagement with the public.