The document emphasizes the importance of communication skills in the field of science, stating that effective communication enhances collaboration, fosters understanding, and can lead to better funding opportunities. It encourages scientists to engage various audiences through storytelling and to package their information attractively to ensure their messages are heard. Finally, it highlights that scientists should embrace public communication, focusing on broader narratives rather than just data, to effectively convey their research.

1. N A T F O X O N
A R C C E N T R E O F E X C E L L E N C E F O R
E L E C T R O M A T E R I A L S S C I E N C E
S C I E N C E C O M M U N I C A T I O N

2. Module 1
How communication is a core
professional skill
Why you should care about being a
more effective communicator
How storytelling is the secret sauce in
the recipe of great communication

3. When scientists
communicate
more effectively,
science thrives
- S C I E N T I F I C A M E R I C A N

4. To be a good scientist, you need
to be a good communicator
Communication is inherent in some of the key parts
of your job. You work includes giving talks, writing
papers and proposals, pitching to various
audiences and educating people.

5. Communication is increasingly becoming
a core professional skill
Being able to communicate to lay audiences builds
support for science and promotes understanding,
plus encourages more informed decision-making.

6. Science is increasingly interdisciplinary, so the
ability to communicate effectively across
disciplines is vital to ensure you foster collaboration
and innovation.

7. Great communication skills can help you secure
funding or find a job.
These skills will allow you to write better research
papers and be a better teacher for younger
scientists.

8. If you are ever frustrated by misinformation in the
media around science topics, you can counter that
by being an influential communicator yourself –
and setting the record straight.

9. Studies suggest that it's worth devoting a little time
to communicating your science message on social
media or in the traditional media.
There are correlations between media coverage,
social media activity and citation rate.

10. As a scientist, you need to ask yourself:
If you're NOT interested in being better understood,
why ARE you writing that paper?
Why ARE you speaking at that conference?
Why ARE you making that poster?

11. You are an expert in your scientific field.
Now it's time to become an expert in communication, too.

12. Know your audience.
The first principle of communication is the same
whether it's public communication or academic.

13. Know at what level you need to pitch your
communication (and never assume prior
knowledge).
After you know your audience, then you can think
about the goal of your communication, and your
message.

14. BUT... a little effort goes a long way.
You might not want to be on prime-time TV, but
perhaps you'd like to write blog posts, create
explainer-videos, tweet, make a podcast, do
animations, write songs... there's an opportunity for
every personality.
Public communication isn't everyone's idea
of a fun time

15. Whatever the platform you choose, to be an
effective public science communicator you need to
ZOOM OUT and look at the bigger picture, not get
too technical or caught up in detail.
You need to answer the questions 'so what?' and
'why does it matter?'.

16. TIP
Most scientists are very worried about being WRONG.
That's understandable in a scientific context.
HOWEVER. In public communication, you MUST let that go
because it doesn't come across well. Think of how boring most
politicians are in interviews - SO worried about sticking to the
right message.
You're dealing with an introductory level of knowledge, so you
can relax and trust yourself.

17. (Drum roll.....)
STORY TELLING.
The secret sauce in the recipe of great
communication

18. Some scientists feel that communicating their
information should be enough, that the facts are
interesting enough on their own.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's just not true.
We're all bombarded with information. If you want
your message to be heard, you're going to have to
package up your info, and you're going to have to
sell it.

19. How do you package up and sell your information?
You create a STORY around it.
Who's the most fun person in a room at any time?
It's the person who tells great stories.
ps. there are no boring stories, only boring story
tellers.

20. Whether or not you like it, if you want to
communicate something with substance, you're
going to have to do it with style.

21. Scientist and pro-communicator Randy Olsen talks
at his TEDMED talk about the very basic structure
of a good story:
Rather then the common 'here's the data and
here's a graph and here's another graph and here's
another graph', Randy teaches to structure a story
with '... AND... BUT...THEREFORE'. It'll make perfect
sense when you watch the video.
(but first.... one more slide. or two.)

22. Your task is to watch Randy's TEDMED video
(9min30sec), then structure your own research
story by using Randy's 'story mode' of AND, BUT,
THEREFORE.
Boring is OUT, style is IN. Go for it.

23. W W W . E L E C T R O M A T E R I A L S . E D U . A U
Nat Foxon