A Policymaker Walks Into The Forest…
A recurring challenge for scientists talking to policymakers is finding the match between the details that the scientist focuses on and understands, and the details that the policymaker needs to make...
View ArticleWhat the Science Tells Us About “Trust in Science”
This post continues our series focused on science communication research. Instead of reporting on or recapping a single paper, we’re asking what the literature has to say about urgent or recurring...
View ArticleOn Advocacy and Trust in Science
As I noted at the end of Monday’s post, I did not directly tackle the question of whether scientists’ advocacy has been shown to damage public trust in them (or their science). The best specific...
View ArticleHow To Make Yourself Presentable
Over my three years working here at COMPASS, I’ve come to witness a curious, repeated phenomenon. A significant part of my job involves engaging with scientists through trainings or helping them...
View ArticleFinding Common Ground on Fire Science
Conflicting viewpoints are commonplace among scientists. And those studying wildfire are no exception, where perspectives vary among regions, ecosystem types, and disciplines. It’s a hot topic (not to...
View ArticleCracking the Capitol Hill Nut
Washington D.C. often gets a reputation for being opaque, with lots of rules and unspoken customs for how things are done. It’s true that D.C. has its own culture, and Capitol Hill especially can feel...
View ArticleLearning By Doing: Insights From Meetings With Decision-Makers
The conference room this past Sunday was full of nervous excitement, tinged with the tiredness that comes from a long day. Chad English and I had just spent an afternoon with the Switzer Environmental...
View ArticleWilburforce Training: The Heart Of The Matter
Something magical happened at the first training for the Wilburforce Fellowship in Conservation Science two weeks ago. Once again, storytelling revealed its power to inform, to inspire and bring...
View ArticleLeading By Example: Communication Lessons Learned from Gulf of Mexico Scientists
In January, right after the holidays, Nancy Baron and I traveled to New Orleans to work with the leaders from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) – a 10-year research program to investigate...
View ArticleThinking About Your Communication Goals And Objectives: An Interview With...
I recently had the opportunity to talk with John Besley (Michigan State) and Anthony Dudo (University of Texas at Austin), two social scientists interested in the intersection of science, public...
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