The science of communication: Translational ecology requires learning how others learn

Background/Question/Methods

Scientists have long struggled with communicating their research clearly to audiences of non-scientists. The challenges in these rhetorical situations are largely due to a difficulty in understanding and crossing boundaries in knowledge levels between speaker and audience. Scientists tend to communicate effectively with other scientists, especially those in their own field, but translating the specialized results of their research for an audience of policymakers or the general public is much more difficult. We need to find ways to train scientists to communicate more clearly and effectively with non-experts in their fields. This will entail an investigation of the ways scientists can acquire rhetorical skills and the ways non-scientists can obtain an understanding of complex scientific principles.

Results/Conclusions

In my talk, I will report on research collected from a variety of fields to help scientists approach rhetorical situations in a more sophisticated manner. Rhetorical theorists like Kenneth Burke can help scientists better understand the role of audience analysis and accommodation. Communication scholars like Alan Gross can help them craft more clear and concise messages. Policy analysts like Sadie Blanchard can help scientists find the most effective avenues for influencing societal change. And ecologists like Michael Pace can show them how to connect their work to these avenues without sacrificing the importance of their findings. My talk will bring together these strands into a unified theory of scientific communication. The toolkit I will provide will allow scientists from any background to more effectively communicate with a variety of audiences in a number of media and genres. These skills will help scientists make their already important work more influential on the world around us.