AAAAS 2015 Scientists Engaging with Reporters, the Public, and Social Media: Survey Findings Sunday, 15 February 2015: 8:00 AM-9:30 AM, San Jose, CA

1. Dominique Brossard, Professor and Chair
@brossardd
Department of Life Sciences Communication
University of Wisconsin-Madison
UW-Madison Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center (NSEC)
Holtz Center for Science and Technology Studies
Center for Global Studies
AAAA 2015 Annual Meeting, San Jose, CA, February 15, 2015
Scientists and Social Media:
Challenges and Opportunities

2. This Talk: An Overview
• Who are AAAS members ?
• Who uses social media for public engagement?
Surveying R1 university researchers
• Does it pay off to engage? A study among highly
cited nanotech-related scientists

3. AAAS members
• 39% are 64+ years old; 71% male
• Compared to NSF (2013) “Characteristics of
Scientists and Engineers in the USA”
– Over representation of biological sciences
– Under representation of social sciences
• Membership open to a broad range of professions
sharing an interest in science

4. Another Approach: Surveying an R1 University
(2) Number of scientists with doctorates in Biological, Physical, and Social Sciences (from NSF (2013) "Characteristics of Scientists and
Engineers in the United States: 2008")
(1) AAAS members demographics (from Pew Research Center/AAAS (2015) "How Scientists Engage the Public")

5. This Talk: An Overview
• Who are AAAS members ?
• Who uses social media for public engagement?
Surveying R1 university researchers
• Does it pay off to engage? A study among highly
cited nanotech-related scientists

6. Increased use of social media platforms
but not yet the norm

7. Increased use of social media platforms
but not yet the norm

8. Researchers are beginning to use social media for
their work

9. Researchers are optimistic about public interest in
science

10. 25% of researchers see the value of social media to
engage with interested lay audiences

11. This Talk: An Overview
• Who are AAAS members ?
• Who uses social media for public engagement?
Surveying R1 university researchers
• Does it pay off to engage? A study among highly
cited nanotech-related scientists

12. Are Online Buzz and Academic Impact Related?
Liang, X., Su, L. Y.-F., Yeo, S. K., Scheufele, D. A., Brossard, D., Xenos, M., Nealey, P., & Corley,
E.A. Building buzz: (Scientists) communicating science in new media environments. Journalism and Mass
Communication Quarterly
PREDICTING h-INDEX

13. 30
35
40
45
50
55
Less More
h-index
Interaction with reporters
not mentioned on Twitter
mentioned on Twitter
Engaging in communication activities pays off
academically

14. • Change in the cultural outlook toward public communication
among researchers
• From an academic visibility standpoint, it is not whether
scientists should engage with (social) media to communicate
their research, but how to do so
• There are many scientific communities, that can be very
diverse in their uses and attitudes toward social media
• There is no “Scientists versus The Public”
Take-home points

15. Thank you
dbrossard@wisc.edu
@brossardd
scimep.wisc.edu