The workshop on strategic science communication aims to help participants clarify their communication goals and differentiate between behavioral goals, communication objectives, and tactics. It emphasizes the need for clear objectives to enhance the effectiveness of science communication efforts and includes case studies and exercises for practical application. The session encourages reflection on individual goals and developing a more strategic approach to public engagement in science.

1. Being more Strategic in
Science Communication:
A Social Scientific Approach
to Effective Public
Engagement
John C. Besley
Ellis N. Brandt Professor, Communication Arts and Sciences
Michigan State University
Sarah Garlick
Director of Science Policy and Outreach, Hubbard Brook Research
Foundation
Anthony Dudo
Associate Professor, Moody College of Communication
The University of Texas at Austin
This material is based upon
work supported by the National
Science Foundation (NSF, Grant
AISL 1421214-1421723. 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. Agenda
• Introductions
• What we mean by behavioral goals
• Case study and exercise
• What we mean by communication objectives and tactics
• Case study and exercise
• Take-home messages

3. Goal #1 of this workshop:
To invite you to slow down and reflect on what goals you’re trying
to achieve through your scicomm efforts – and to think about how
you’re trying to do that.

4. Goal #2 of this workshop:
To have you try using our framework to begin thinking more
strategically about your science communication efforts –
specifically to help you differentiate between behavioral goals,
communication objectives, and communication tactics.

5. Goal #3 of this workshop:
To hear new research ideas and improve
our ability to share our research.

6. Introductions
• Name
• Where you live
• Professional identity
• Chosen area of science you (want to) communicate about
• Reason for attending this session

7. Who we are and what we do …
Scientists Trainers Societies Philanthropies Fellowships

8. Agenda
• Introductions
• What we mean by behavioral goals
• Case study and exercise
• Communication objectives and tactics
• Case study and exercise
• Take-home messages

9. Why use the language of strategy?
• Science communication often lacks concrete behavioral goals
• Without clear goals, how can we know if we have an impact?
• Strategy helps us identify, strive toward, and achieve goals
INSERT APPROPRIATE IMAGE? MAYBE A MESSY KITCHEN? PHOTO OF A
CASE WHERE EXCELLENT TACTICS (TECHNOLOGY) DIDN’T SUCCEED
BECAUSE OF POOR STRATEGY? BETAMAX? GM FOOD? A GREAT MOVIE
THAT NO ONE SAW? MARCH FOR SCIENCE… JUST SORT OF HAPPENED?
ORIENTEERING MAP?
Orienteering by Luigi Mengato, via Flickr Creative Commons

10. What do we mean by strategic?
Audience Specific
Behavioral Goals
Communication
Objectives
Communication
Tactics

11. Scientists want to have an impact on the real world …
They want …
• … policymakers to use scientific evidence (87/100)*
• … their society to use scientific evidence (84/100)*
• … kids to choose science careers (75/100)*
• … to see science funded (75/100)*
And ….
• … to study things that matter to real people
in ways that strengthen communities (78/100)**
*Score on 100-point scale, 2018 Survey of AAU-university affiliated scientists (N=
504), **2020 survey of Society for Risk Analysis, n = 338)

12. But here’s an example of a conversation we often have …
Us: “Why are you doing {insert scicomm activity}?”
Communicator: “I want people to appreciate science?”
Us: “Why do you want people to appreciate science?”
Communicator: “Uhm … <shuffles feet and glares at us menacingly>”
Us: “What do you think will happen if your communication efforts help them appreciate science more?”
Communicator: “Well, I guess it’s really the future of science I worry about. I worry that kids don’t see STEM as
an exciting career choice. ”
Us: “And you want your communication efforts to … ”
Communicator: “To help get kids to consider STEM as a career. Yeah. That’s it. That’s really important to me.”
Us: Yes! Now that’s a clear goal … ultimately, you want your communication efforts to help kids more seriously
consider STEM as a career choice.”

13. What do we mean by behavioral goals?
What do you hope will happen from the time,
money, and energy you put into communicating?
Acceptance/Behavioral
Trust/ Legitimacy
Specific Behavior
Target: “Audiences” Target: Scientists
Willingness to making
oneself vulnerable
(Accept evidence, role for science )
Donating, Voting, Buying, Career
Choice, etc. [Or consider information
in the context of…]
Willingness to work with specific
audiences; Continuing to interact
Choosing different research
questions/methods

14. A case study:
Goal setting in the
White Mountains …
The opportunity …
• Range of visitors
• Unique setting
• A lot of science
• A desire to help
Hubbard
Brook
Research
Foundation
Bryan Pocius, White Mountains, NH via Flickr Creative Commons

15. A case study:
Goal setting in the
White Mountains …
The opportunity …
• Range of visitors
• Unique setting
• A lot of science
• A desire to help
Hubbard
Brook
Research
Foundation

16. For you:
Given your context, what
are your behavioral goals?
How’d
it go?

17. One challenge with goal-setting: Goal specificity
I generally want people in this
country to trust scientists
I want this specific group of
people to trust this specific
groups of scientists
I generally want people in
this country to include
environmental considerations when
making decisions
I want this specific group of people
to include these specific
environmental considerations
into that specific decision
I generally want to ensure my
research meets community needs
I want to ensure this specific project
meets the needs of a specific group
The Marmot, Pasta in Butter and Brent Rostad, Scallop, both via Flickr Creative Commons
Buttered pasta is great,
but … sometimes we
can be more nuanced …
but it’s not required

18. Agenda
• Introductions
• What we mean by behavioral goals
• Case study and exercise
• Communication objectives and tactics
• Case study and exercise
• Take-home messages

19. What do we mean by tactics?
Who says or does what to/with who
in what way and through what channel?
De-Jargonizer
How accessible is
your work, paste your
article … to analyze
the amount of jargon
in your writing.
Most training
emphasizes tactics:
● translation
● storytelling
● elevator pitches
● social media
● dialogue
● more

20. Who says or does what to/with who
in what way and through what channel?
De-Jargonizer
How accessible is
your work, paste your
article … to analyze
the amount of jargon
in your writing.
What do we mean by tactics?

21. Objectives are central to strategic communication

22. “Available research does
not support the claim that
increasing science literacy will
lead to appreciably greater
support for science ...”
A fundamental challenge
of science communication

23. Communication Objectives as “BFFs”

24. Theory of Planned Behavior/
Two areas of theory and research that all
science communicators should know if they
want to be evidence-based and strategic
Behavioral Trust and Trustworthiness:
Integrative Model of Organizational Trust
Behavior Change:
Integrated Behavioral Model

25. Objectives as the core of evidence-based strategy
Integrative Model of Organizational Trust
(+ Research on Procedural Fairness)
Mayer, R. C., Davis, J. H., & Schoorman, F. D. (1995). An integrative model of
organizational trust. Academy of management review, 20(3), 709-734.
https://doi.org/10.5465/AMR.1995.9508080335

26. Integrated Behavioral Model
Fishbein, M. (2009). An integrative model for behavioral prediction and its application to
health promotion. In R. J. DiClemente, R. A. Crosby, & M. C. Kegler (Eds.), Emerging
theories in health promotion practice and research (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.
Objectives as the core of evidence-based strategy

27. One great thing about a focus
on communication objectives
Moves you from: How can we build trust?
(a vague, intimidating question)
To: How can we foster perceptions
of benevolence (i.e., caring, goodwill)?
(a more concrete, less intimidating question)
Ryan, FREE HUGS via Flickr Creative Commons

28. Back to the case study:
Potential objectives for
the White Mountains?
Goal: Visitors turn to science and
demand science from policymakers
Key Objectives: …
Potential tactics: …
Hubbard
Brook
Research
Foundation

29. For you:
What priority objectives
might you consider
given your goal(s)?
(Start thinking about your
tactics if you have time.)
How’d
it go?

30. Agenda
• Introductions
• What we mean by behavioral goals
• Case study and exercise
• Communication objectives and tactics
• Case study and exercise
• Take-home messages

31. The GOTOG Model Source: Besley, J., & Dudo, A. (2022) Strategic science communication: A guide
to setting the right objectives for more effective public engagement. Johns
Hopkins University Press.

32. Take-home messages:
1. Consider using our GOTOG framework;
use it to guide your energy and creativity
2. Push yourself and your colleagues to
be concrete about goals and objectives …
then think about your tactics
3. Push social scientists to provide …
• evidence about tactics’ effects on BFFs
• evidence about BFFs’ effects on goal
behavior
4. Consider how using this approach gives you new
opportunities to evaluate your scicomm efforts

33. Bonus content …

34. Communication objectives as core of effectiveness
Theories of discrete emotions

35. Communication objectives as core of effectiveness
Nisbet and
Scheufele’s
Frame
Typology
(based on research
by Gamson and
Modigliani)
Nisbet, M. & Scheufele, D.
A. (2007) Framing science:
How should research talk
about science. The Scientist,
21(10), 39-33/
Gamson, W. A., &
Modigliani, A. (1989, Jul).
Media discourse and public
opinion on nuclear power:
A constructionist approach.
American Journal of Sociology,
95(1), 1-37.

36. A frequent science communication conversation
JCB: What’s your goal?
Communicator: “We want to decrease misunderstandings about ______?”
What types of
misunderstandings?
Cause/effect? Risks/
benefits? Norms? Efficacy?
Something about the
people involved?
Why do you want
to decrease
misunderstandings?
What do you think will
happen if you succeed?
Why frame in terms of
misunderstandings? What
might you want people to
believe and feel about the
issues and people involved?
(The goal questions) (The objectives questions)

37. A frequent science communication conversation
Us: What’s your goal?
Communicator: “We want to decrease misinformation about ______?”
Coming in ~15 minutes
Why do you want
to decrease
misinformation?
What do you think will
happen if you succeed?
Coming in ~15 minutes
(The goal questions) (The objectives questions)

38. U.S. Congress allocates robust funding
for science
Voters support strong science
funding from political candidates
Business voices ask for strong science
funding from elected officials
Constituents ask for strong science
funding from political
elected officials
Business voices support strong
science funding from political
candidates
Political Parties include support for
science funding in party platforms
Another challenge with goal-setting: Goal stacking
People with science background
seek political office
Scientists communicate how
funding has been used effectively
Scientists build positive
relationships with key
communities
Etcetera Etcetera
tcetera
Etcetera
Etcetera Etcetera
Etcetera

39. Fast vs. Slow communication
• Priming
• Heuristics and biases
• Availability
• Representativeness
• WYSIATI
• Cognitive shortcuts
• Nudges
• Choice architecture
• Cognitive misers
• Etc.

40. How do we think slow (systematic) communication works?
Over time, efforts to
foster deeper cognitive
engagement on science
topics should result in
long-term, cumulative changes
to all communication
participants’ (including
scientists) evaluative beliefs
Attitudes are the (weighted?) sum of
available/salient beliefs (b) and the evaluation (e) of
those beliefs
Paul Sableman, Dripping via Flickr Creative Commons

41. For you:
Challenges?
How do you
prioritize
objectives?
What about
two-way
SciCom?

42. Identifying a goal …
is difficult work; it requires conversations that can be uncomfortable
it means setting other goals aside (at least for now)
can be intimidating bc it can make the communication feel more formal; it raises the stakes

43. Why use the language of social science? It can …
• expand and diversify our approach to SciComm
• increase the sophistication of our SciComm (e.g., level 200 to level 400)
• help us use our resources more wisely (e.g., no reinventing wheels)
Bravo Top Chef Blind
Taste Test Challenge … do
you know your ingredients?