This document discusses a study of the culture of public engagement at Hubbard Brook and Harvard Forest research sites. It presents survey and interview findings about scientists' levels and types of public engagement activities, attitudes towards engagement, and priorities for engagement goals and objectives. The study aims to understand the engagement culture at the sites and whether engagement efforts should focus more on strategic goals and aligned tactics and communication objectives.

1. The Culture of Public Engagement
at Hubbard Brook and Harvard Forest
[need a good image]
This material is based upon work supported by the National
Science Foundation (NSF, Grants AISL 1421214-1421723, and
1713197. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or
recommendations expressed in this material are those of the
authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.

2. Who am I?

3. Who am I?
Public Opinion about
Science and Scientists
Scientists’ opinions about the
public and public engagement

4. What is my task?
• Understand engagement culture at the sites
• Three rounds of surveys and interviews
Fall 2017 Survey (Response rate 70%) Fall 2017 semi-structured
interviews (n = 17)

5. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Never (1) Once (1) 2-5 times
(3)
6-11 times
(4)
About once
a month (5)
Multiple
times per
month (6)
Once a
week or
more (7)
Past Year Face-to-Face Engagement
(Public Talks, etc.)
Hubbard (n = 39) Harvard (n = 46) ESA 2016 (n = 776)
Fall 2017 Survey

6. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Never (1) Once (1) 2-5 times
(3)
6-11 times
(4)
About once
a month (5)
Multiple
times per
month (6)
Once a
week or
more (7)
Past Year Online Engagement
(Twitter, Facebook, Web articles, etc.)
Hubbard (n = 39) Harvard (n = 46) ESA 2016 (n = 776)
Fall 2017 Survey

7. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Never (1) Once (1) 2-5 times
(3)
6-11 times
(4)
About once
a month (5)
Multiple
times per
month (6)
Once a
week or
more (7)
Past Year News Media Engagement
(Interviews with newspaper, TV, etc.)
Hubbard (n = 39) Harvard (n = 46) ESA 2016 (n = 776)
Fall 2017 Survey

8. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Never (1) Once (1) 2-5 times
(3)
6-11 times
(4)
About once
a month (5)
Multiple
times per
month (6)
Once a
week or
more (7)
Past Year Policy Engagement
(Direct interaction with policy makers)
Hubbard (n = 39) Harvard (n = 46) ESA 2016 (n = 776)
Fall 2017 Survey

9. 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Never (1) Once (1) 2-5 times
(3)
6-11 times
(4)
About once
a month (5)
Multiple
times per
month (6)
Once a
week or
more (7)
Past Year Youth Engagement
(Classroom talks, etc.)
Hubbard (n = 39) Harvard (n = 46)
Fall 2017 Survey

10. 1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
F2F Online Media Policy
Perceived Engagement Willingness
(1 = Not at all willing, 7 = Very Willing)
Hubbard (n = 39) Harvard (n = 46) ESA 2016 (n = 776)
Fall 2017 Survey

11. 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00 6.00 7.00
Attitudes, Normative Beliefs, & Efficacy Beliefs
(1 = Strongly disagree, 7 = Strongly agree)
Hubbard (n = 39) Harvard (n = 46)
Attitudes: Audience character (3Qs, a = .82)
Attitudes: Overall engagement (4Qs, a = .72)
Attitudes: Audience knowledge (4Qs, a = .77)
Norms: Subjective (4Qs, a = .67)
Norms: Descriptive (3Qs, a = .73)
Efficacy: Self (12Qs, a = .87)
Efficacy: Response-Previous (7Qs, a = .85)
Efficacy: Response-General (3Qs, a = .66)
Fall 2017 Survey

12. Policymakers consider scientific evidence
Natural Res. Pros. consider …evidence
Society values science
Individuals consider scientific evidence …
Adequate funding for scientific research …
More young people choose scientific careers
Fulfilling a sense of duty to society …
0 50 100
Perceived Engagement Goal Importance
(1 = Very low importance, 100 = Very high importance)
Hubbard (n = 39) Harvard (n = 46)
Fall 2017 Survey

13. GoalsTactics Communication objectives

14. 0 20 40 60 80 100
Perceived Importance of Engagement Objectives
(1 = Very low importance, 100 = Very high importance)
Hubbard (n = 39) Harvard (n = 46)
Getting people interested or excited …
Helping to inform …
Demonstrating openness and transparency
Showing ability to solve problems
Showing that scientific community listens …
Showing that scientific community cares …
Fall 2017 Survey
Trust

15. 1.00 3.00 5.00 7.00
Prior Thought about Engagement Objectives
(1 = Strongly disagree, 7 = Strongly agree)
Hubbard Harvard
Getting people interested or excited …
Helping to inform …
Demonstrating openness and transparency
Showing ability to solve problems
Showing that scientific community listens …
Showing that scientific community cares …
Fall 2017 Survey
Trust

16. You can’t have
everything …

17. GoalsTactics Communication objectives
Where to?
Should the focus be on
fostering a “strategic”
public engagement
culture … where goals
are clear and tactics
and objectives flow
from these goals?
This material is based upon work supported by the National
Science Foundation (NSF, Grants AISL 1421214-1421723, and
1713197. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or
recommendations expressed in this material are those of the
authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF.