ComSciConCAN featured pop talks, where attendees had one minute to share their research in an accessible and engaging manner. The audience could raise JARGON or AWESOME cards in response. Credit: Zachary Guy.
The first Communicating Science workshop (ComSciCon) took place in the U.S. in 2013, where a team of nine graduate students organized a three-day series of expert panels, hands-on workshops, a poster session, pop talks (one minute talks where attendees share their research, and are labelled as awesome or jargon by listeners), and a Write-A-Thon (to prep a piece of science communication). Six years later, ComSciConCAN is the first ever series to take place outside of the U.S., where it features the same unique professional development experience with Canadian experts.
The inaugural series received over 400 applications, but only 50 graduate students (from 26 different institutions) were selected to attend. It’s worth noting that thanks to sponsors, ComSciConCAN is free to attend with reimbursements for travel and living expenses. ComSciConCAN’s many organizers included Dr. Cylita Guy (a recent University of Toronto (UofT) graduate and bat expert), Dr. Maria R. Drout (UofT assistant professor and ComSciCon founding member) and Alexandra Gellé (McGill University PhD student and Pint of Science – Canada organizer).
Like me, you’ve likely already attended a handful of science communication talks, read previous Signals posts on the topic (such as podcasting, public trust and using Instagram), or perhaps even organized a few initiatives yourself. So, you may be wondering: what new tips and tools were shared at ComSciConCAN? Read on to find out!
Incorporating Indigenous Voices: It was clear that ComSciConCAN organizers took meaningful steps to incorporate Indigenous perspectives, beginning with Guy’s land acknowledgement. This is one of the few times I’ve seen someone go beyond a standard blurb and instead contemplate the tangible steps we can take – and others noticed this too. This set the tone for the conference, leading attendees to ask how to better incorporate Indigenous perspectives in research and science communication. For example, Dr. Hilding Neilson, told attendees to listen, to acknowledge that every audience has unique knowledge (such as through elders and knowledge keepers), and to take steps towards Truth and Reconciliation, including looking up some of the stories of people living on the land. Dr. Carrie Bourassa noted the changes taking place within CIHR’s Indigenous Health Research Institute, including new grants, and the fact that Indigenous individuals no longer have to fill out the Canadian common curriculum vitae (CCV).
Media Interview Skills: Dr. Dan Riskin (former Daily Planet co-host) led a workshop on how to be the “expert” when commenting on science outside your field. Riskin recommended prepping three key messages (under one minute each), and having relevant facts and background points in your back pocket. Be sure to have an answer ready for questions such as: Why does this study matter? Why should we care – isn’t this a waste of money? And beyond preparation, consider your appearance in the interview itself: smiling is important, and make sure to begin the interview with the energy you would have in the middle of a very engaging conversation. Remember: as the interviewee, you are in the driver’s seat, and are responsible for the interview going well too.
Data Visualization: Dr. Jodie Jenkinson (a UofT associate professor in the Biomedical Communications program) led ComSciConCAN attendees through best practices in data visualizations (slides). Jenkinson emphasized that while visuals help provide insight and enhance understanding, it’s important to note that as human beings, there’s a limit to what we actually pay attention to. (Don’t believe me? Do the ŠKODA Fabia Attention test.) Because of this, it’s important to remember that design is an iterative process, where you want to consider: (i) encoding: i.e. choosing a visual representation that matches the data; (ii) context: make sure you provide adequate context to make meaningful comparisons; and (iii) clarity: reduce any non-data ink, and instead highlight your data.
Science Communication Research: One of my favourite workshops was organized by Dr. Chantal Barriault and Michelle Reid, who are both affiliated with Laurentian University’s Science Communication program. The duo shared evidence-based practices which can be used to communicate science with intention. In particular, Barriault and Reid recommended the following steps:
- Prepare: What are you there to do? Who is your audience? And no, there is no general public. Get specific on your target audience – knowing what your audience is already familiar with (especially their values, experiences, knowledge and beliefs) can help you find common ground and prevent pitfalls. It’s important to note that you can’t disguise a lack of preparation with delivery, such as pretty slides.
- Design: What’s the best way to communicate your message to the audience? What should this look like?
- Delivery: How will you conduct yourself? How will your efforts engage or reach your audience?
- Evaluate: How did your audience react? What can you do better next time? Reflect and improve – don’t let evaluations be an after-thought.
Resources: Almost every panelist recommended tools and resources. Here are the ones that I found particularly useful: Ana Sofia Barrows recommended the book Creating a Culture of Accessibility in the Sciences to take actionable steps towards inclusion, and using Microsoft Translator to tackle language barriers. Barriault and Reid recommended exploring the data present in the Yale program for Climate Change Communication, where you can quickly see that believing in climate change isn’t a simple yes or no question, but instead is quite nuanced. This example demonstrates how values, beliefs and knowledge can impact what your audience hears and remembers.
Overall, I enjoyed ComSciConCAN quite a lot, including the opportunity to meet the next generation of Canadian science communicators. Be sure to check out the #CSCC19 hashtag to meet ComSciConCAN attendees, and read their reflections too. The national ComSciConCAN conference will be returning next year, alongside smaller local series in various locations across Canada, so watch for the call for applications!
The 2019 ComSciConCAN organizers and attendees. Credit: Zachary Guy.
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