Communicating Science: Benefits and Challenges

Dr. Sohini Bhattacharyya
Asst.Prof.
Department of Zoology
Kalinga University Raipur

The most interesting and challenging task of a researcher is to communicate or present the outcomes to the scientific community as well as the commoners. Scientific communication is the key to highlighting once achievements as a successful researcher. Communication in science is mostly in written forms (e.g. Scientific paper, books, posters); however, it can be exclusively verbal or may involve verbal and visual aids when commoners need to be convinced (e.g., presentations, workshops). Moreover, podcasts, webinars, and TV documentaries have now increased our potential to communicate or converse on science both digitally and on paper.
Majorly while presenting science, one’s overall communication skills are enhanced which subsequently brings confidence. Conversing with the scientific community helps in identifying the uniqueness of the work, detecting loopholes, and pinpointing future scopes. Meanwhile when one masters the art of explaining intellectual concepts to commoners by avoiding scientific jargon it enhances one’s understanding of the subject and provides clarity. Such communication can also become quite engaging where passion or respective topics may get fueled leading to huge databases through citizen science projects. Additionally tailoring the messages to be delivered during science communications with people from nonscientific backgrounds can cause a positive impact on creating general awareness on crucial matters.
One of the most critical issues that modern science communication faces is regarding spreading of misinformation. Due to the widespread use of internet unverified data is often shared and spread which can have adverse results on public mindset. Some topics like complex molecular mechanisms or quantum physics may seem oversimplified when discussed in the common people’s platform. The challenging part in one-to-one discussions or community specific discussions on scientific issues with common people is regarding building trust. Most of the time it is hard to convince people about the problems until suitable alternate solutions are suggested. For example, making farmers understand that using chemical pesticides can cause major health issues is difficult as it is involved with monetary gains. Hence, when speaking to a community scientists not only need to be experts in their fields but also must have skills to make others believe in the documented problems.
Overall, scientific communication encourages sharing of scientific information among public, policymakers and other stakeholders. It opens door for both, appreciation and critical review generating a healthy forum where everyone can make beneficial decisions about their health, environment, and societal issues.