Communicating Science Effectively : A Research Agenda

Science and technology are embedded in virtually every aspect of modern life. As a result, people face an increasing need to integrate information from science with their personal values and other considerations as they make important life decisions about medical care, the safety of foods, what to do about climate change, and many other issues. Communicating science effectively, however, is a complex task and an acquired skill. Moreover, the approaches to communicating science that will be most effective for specific audiences and circumstances are not obvious. Fortunately, there is an expanding science base from diverse disciplines that can support science communicators in making these determinations. Communicating Science Effectively offers a research agenda for science communicators and researchers seeking to apply this research and fill gaps in knowledge about how to communicate effectively about science, focusing in particular on issues that are contentious in the public sphere. To inform this research agenda, this publication identifies important influences – psychological, economic, political, social, cultural, and media-related – on how science related to such issues is understood, perceived, and used. Table of ContentsFront MatterSummary1 Using Science to Improve Science Communication2 The Complexities of Communicating Science3 The Nature of Science-Related Public Controversies4 Communicating Science in a Complex, Competitive Communication Environment5 Building the Knowledge Base for Effective Science CommunicationReferencesAppendix A: Agendas of Public MeetingsAppendix B: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Staff