All of us who are professionally or personally interested in translating research evidence to the public struggle with how best to do it. Fortunately, we don’t need to “reinvent the wheel” – there are great web resources to help us!
Bruce Lewenstein, Professor of Science Communication at Cornell has put together a terrific list of sites that provide nuts-and-bolts ideas and information for how to communicate with the public about science topics. These are geared in part for journalists who make a living communicating about research, or for scientists who are trying to communicate with the public. However, they provide information that is highly useful to extension educators and others who inform citizens about research. Prof. Lewenstein also maintains a web page with basic resources for better communication about scientific research.
Take a look — I found I got several new ideas with just a few clicks!
http://communicatingscience.aaas.org/ (produced by American Association for the Advancement of Science, includes webinars, tipsheets, etc.)
www.wfsj.org/course/en/index.html (online science journalism course, developed by World Federation of Science Journalists; primary audience is science journalists in developing countries)
http://www.scidev.net/en/science-communication/ (SciDev.net’s “Communicating Science” section, focused on science journalism for the developing world, but relevant for anyone communicating science)
http://www.pantaneto.co.uk/issue28/thomas.htm Tips for great (science) media interviews (from Patricia Thomas, Knight Chair in Health & Medical Journalism, Grady College of Journalism & Mass Communication, University of Georgia)
http://www.scienceliteracyproject.org/Science Literacy Project (a workshop for science reporters working in public radio; some resources online, especially the “tip sheets”)
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