This content has been downloaded from IOPscience. Please scroll down to see the full text.

Download details:

IP Address: 85.122.30.24
This content was downloaded on 20/04/2017 at 17:28

Please note that terms and conditions apply.

Effective Science Communication
A practical guide to surviving as a scientist
Effective Science Communication
A practical guide to surviving as a scientist

Sam Illingworth
Manchester Metropolitan University

Grant Allen
The University of Manchester

IOP Publishing, Bristol, UK

ª IOP Publishing Ltd 2016

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, or as expressly permitted by law or
under terms agreed with the appropriate rights organization. Multiple copying is permitted in
accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, the Copyright
Clearance Centre and other reproduction rights organisations.

Permission to make use of IOP Publishing content other than as set out above may be sought
at [email protected].

Sam Illingworth and Grant Allen have asserted their right to be identified as the authors of this
work in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

Media content for this book is available from http://ej.iop.org/images/books/978-0-7503-1170-0/

live/bk978-0-7503-1170-0ch4f3.m4v.

ISBN 978-0-7503-1170-0 (ebook)

ISBN 978-0-7503-1171-7 (print)
ISBN 978-0-7503-1172-4 (mobi)

DOI 10.1088/978-0-7503-1170-0

Version: 20160901

IOP Expanding Physics

ISSN 2053-2563 (online)
ISSN 2054-7315 (print)

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data: A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library.

Published by IOP Publishing, wholly owned by The Institute of Physics, London

IOP Publishing, Temple Circus, Temple Way, Bristol, BS1 6HG, UK

US Office: IOP Publishing, Inc., 190 North Independence Mall West, Suite 601, Philadelphia,
PA 19106, USA
For Becky and Ian, whose love and support enable us
to do the jobs that we love.
 Contents

Preface xi
Acknowledgments xii
Author biographies xiii

1 Introduction 1-1
1.1 Introduction 1-1
1.2 Communicating knowledge: from Ancient Greece to modern days 1-2
1.3 How to use this book 1-4
1.4 Summary 1-4
1.5 Further study 1-5
Suggested reading 1-5
References 1-5

2 Publishing work in academic journals 2-1

2.1 Introduction 2-1
2.2 Scoping your deliverables 2-2
2.3 Choosing a journal 2-4
2.4 Writing and manuscript preparation 2-7
2.5 The peer review process 2-8
2.6 Reviewing papers 2-11
2.7 Citations and metrics—getting recognised 2-13
2.8 Summary 2-15
2.9 Further study 2-15
Suggested reading 2-16
References 2-16

3 Applying for funding 3-1

3.1 Introduction 3-1
3.2 What makes a good idea? 3-3
3.3 How to find a funding body and funding calls 3-6
3.4 What are the components of a research proposal? 3-8
3.4.1 Case for support 3-9
3.4.2 Pathway to impact 3-11
3.5 Budgeting 3-12

vii
 Effective Science Communication

3.6 The funding process and peer review 3-13

3.7 Summary 3-18
3.8 Further study 3-18
Suggested reading 3-18
References 3-19

4 Presenting 4-1
4.1 Introduction 4-1
4.2 A three-way approach 4-1
4.2.1 Developing your narrative 4-3
4.2.2 Understanding your audience 4-5
4.2.3 Managing yourself 4-7
4.3 Dealing with nerves 4-8
4.4 Rhetoric 4-10
4.5 Using your tools 4-11
4.6 Timings 4-12
4.7 Answering questions (and asking them) 4-13
4.8 Poster design and etiquette 4-15
4.9 Summary 4-20
4.10 Further study 4-20
Suggested reading 4-21
References 4-21

5 Outreach and public engagement 5-1

5.1 Introduction 5-1
5.2 Nomenclature 5-3
5.3 Working with children 5-4
5.3.1 Children in a formal environment 5-5
5.3.2 Children in an informal environment 5-7
5.4 General public 5-9
5.5 Citizen science 5-11
5.6 Funding 5-13
5.7 Spreading the word 5-14
5.8 Evaluation 5-15
5.9 Training 5-18
5.10 Outreach checklist 5-18

viii
 Effective Science Communication

5.11 Summary 5-21

5.12 Further study 5-21
Suggested reading 5-21
References 5-22

6 Engaging with the mass media 6-1

6.1 Introduction 6-1
6.2 Why, when, and how to, engage with the media 6-2
6.3 Press releases 6-3
6.4 Constructing a narrative for mass media 6-5
6.5 Television and radio interviews 6-8
6.6 Summary 6-11
6.7 Further study 6-11
Suggested reading 6-12
References 6-12

7 Establishing an online presence 7-1

7.1 Introduction 7-1
7.2 Blogs 7-2
7.3 Podcasts 7-5
7.4 Social media platforms 7-6
7.5 Twitter 7-7
7.6 Facebook 7-9
7.7 LinkedIn 7-10
7.8 YouTube 7-11
7.9 ResearchGate 7-12
7.10 Others 7-13
7.11 Digital collaborations 7-13
7.12 Summary 7-14
7.13 Further study 7-15
Suggested reading 7-15
References 7-16

8 Science and policy 8-1

8.1 Introduction 8-1
8.2 How science informs policy 8-2

ix
 Effective Science Communication

8.3 What you can do to inform policy 8-4

8.4 Summary 8-6
8.5 Further study 8-7
Suggested reading 8-7
References 8-8

9 Other essential research skills 9-1

9.1 Introduction 9-1
9.2 Time management 9-2
9.3 Networking 9-4
9.4 Teamwork 9-6
9.5 Objective reflection 9-7
9.6 Mentoring 9-7
9.7 Career planning 9-9
9.8 Open science 9-10
9.9 Integrity 9-12
9.10 Summary 9-13
9.11 Further study 9-14
Suggested reading 9-15
References 9-15

x
 Preface

This book was conceived as a result of discussions between the two authors and
young scientists we met at conferences about what it meant to be an effective
communicator, and how daunting it can be to establish oneself in the challenging
world of academia. Good communication is a core skill of any academic, especially
for the fast-paced, modern-day scientist. The book that you are now reading is the
culmination of these discussions, and has been created from the varied experience
that both of us have amassed during our time as scientists, especially during our
formative years as postdoctoral researchers and junior academics. As senior
academics in respected universities we have had the opportunity and honour to
conduct scientific research, prepare successful funding proposals, teach under-
graduate and postgraduate students, and communicate our expertise to a variety
of non-specialist audiences, from five-year-old schoolchildren to Members of
Parliament. We have published papers, received grants, and appeared on television
and radio. We have also had papers rejected, grant applications dismissed, and faced
difficult questions from the media. As with all of life, academia is about taking the
rough with the smooth, learning as we go, and doing the best that we can. We have
drawn on all of these successes and failures to create this book, and we are confident
that it gives a good overview of what it takes to be an effective communicator, and
with it an accomplished scientist.
Both of us have a background in atmospheric physics, but like most modern
scientists we also have experience in other research fields, from astrophysics and
microbiology to pedagogy and social science. As such, whilst some of the examples
that are given in this book are based on our more recent environmental science
experience, we have framed these examples such that they are useful lessons for any
scientist, no matter what their discipline. Being a scientist is not easy, and as you can
see from the breadth of topics that are covered in this book, there are many skills
other than research prowess that you must be accomplished at if you wish to thrive
in this environment.
We hope that you enjoy reading this book, and that it can be a guide and
companion to you as you set out, or continue, on your own journey as a scientist.

xi
 Acknowledgments

This book is the result of two years of hard work between the two of us, but there are
many people who have contributed directly or indirectly through discussions and the
experiences they have offered to us. We would like to thank everyone that has ever
sat through one of our lectures, listened to one of our talks or put up with one of our
rants. Thank you to our scientific colleagues for the innovation, inspiration, and at
times perspiration that was necessary for us to shape our ideas.
Thank you also to our students and those we have met at the European
Geosciences Union conferences for providing us with feedback and insight during
the developmental phase of this book. We would especially like to thank Farrukh
Mehmood Shahid, Alexander Garrow, and Jack Richard Varley for their help.
We would also like to thank Leigh Jenkins and the team at IOP Publishing for
their help in preparing this book for publication. A big thanks also to Paul Dickens
for the wonderful cartoons that appear throughout the book; we really think they
help to illustrate some of points that we make and the issues that we raise. Special
thanks must also be given to the two anonymous reviewers, whose comments and
constructive criticisms helped to mould this book, ensuring that it was consistent and
effective in its message.

xii
 Author biographies

Sam Illingworth
Sam Illingworth is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication at
Manchester Metropolitan University, where his current research
involves looking at ways in which science can be used to empower
society. After his PhD in Atmospheric Physics at the University of
Leicester (following an MPhys in Physics with Space Science and
Technology at the same institute), Sam spent two years in Japan as a
Scholar of the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, where he taught
Effective Communication at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Following his stint
in Japan, Sam took up a postdoc position in the Centre for Atmospheric Science at
the University of Manchester, where he used satellites, aircraft and drones to infer
information about greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. In his current
position he is the Programme Leader for the new MSc in Science Communication at
Manchester Metropolitan, where he also investigates the relationship between
science and poetry. You can find out more about him, and read some of his own
poetry, at his website: www.samillingworth.com.

Grant Allen
Grant Allen is a Reader in Atmospheric Science at the University of
Manchester. His research interests surround trace gas measurement
methods and remote sensing, especially from aircraft. After
graduating with a PhD on the subject of satellite remote sensing
at Leicester University in 2005, Grant was a postdoctoral research
associate at the University of Manchester working on projects
investigating tropical convection and pollution transport. At the
time of publication, Grant has received over £1M in funding from the Natural
Environment Research Council on topics related to these themes. He has submitted
over 30 grant proposals, with over 50 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact
journals, and delivered over 70 academic conference presentations and public
lectures. In 2012, he was awarded a Royal Society Westminster Pairing Fellowship
to shadow a Member of Parliament to understand the science–policy interface. This
was followed by invitations to review government reports on the environmental
policy impacts of hydraulic fracturing and the deposition of evidence
to parliamentary and local authority enquiries. Grant has also featured in several
science documentaries—aired internationally—on atmospheric phenomena and
has been interviewed several times live on BBC and Sky News channels discussing
topics from volcanic eruptions to flooding. He has also taken part in over 40 radio
interviews and provided comment for hundreds of newspaper articles.

xiii