By Krithika Muthukumaran, ORT Times Writer and UHN Trainee
As scientists, effective communication is a core professional skill as we write papers, proposals, grants, and give talks on a regular basis. But how well can we describe the significance of our research to our friends and family when asked about our work at gatherings or dinner parties? Although we get very few opportunities to improve our ability to explain research to a lay audience, communicating science to the general public and increasing science literacy is a responsibility for scientists.
When communicating to a non-scientific audience, one needs to pay attention to the language. A common mistake is to assume that the ‘science jargon’ that researchers are familiar with and use on a day-to-day basis, is common language to the general public. In order to avoid this, you could share articles or presentations with a friend or family member who is not in your field in order to get feedback prior to addressing a larger audience on the topic. Using social media outlets such as Twitter and writing blogs to share your work and ideas is another great way to practice and refine your skills. Plenty of online resources are also available that could help you improve your communication skills and a number of science communication and writing programs are offered in Canadian colleges and online as well (http://sciencewriters.ca/page-1716449).
Effectively communicating your research to the general public can be beneficial to yourself and to society. As you begin to think about how to effectively get across the meaning of your research, you remind yourself about the bigger picture and the real world applications of what you do. This could help you evaluate the commercialization potential and possible interdisciplinary collaborations for your research. It could also help you write manuscripts and grant proposals that are more transparent and easier to understand. In addition, by making science more accessible and inclusive, you assist in not only educating the general public but also helping the community and the government make well-informed decisions. Disseminating science and research to the general public may also inspire youth to consider a career in the STEM fields and generate more support for scientific research.
With decreasing government research funding, researchers seek funding from individual donors, foundations and private sector companies. This means that it is even more important for us trainees to hone our communication skills, and successfully put into words, the value of our research. As Albert Einstein said “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”