Scientific outreach is an activity that can be developed through different platforms, by institutions or individuals, using a variety of tools and towards multiple objectives. It affects not only the target audience, but also those who are involved in the effort of communicating the scientific content. In the following I will address four key points highlighting the importance of promoting scientific culture and relatable stories in historically underrepresented communities within science, such as the global south and women in general.
Outreach as a way of promoting critical thinking
In 2021, when asked about four conspiracy or science statements it was shown that people born after 1981 (classified as Millennials and Gen Z) were more likely to believe or be unsure about statements such as “Vaccinations implant microchip”, “Earth is flat, not round” and “NASA did not land on the moon”.[1] These are generations that have grown with or been heavily influenced by the access to the internet, therefore an alternative explanation is that they may be prone to frequent conspiracy groups online.
It is a clear necessity to actively fill these corners of the internet with scientifically accurate content. Going beyond a public that is already eager and interested in learning from academic institutions in traditional settings is the current challenge for outreach endeavors. Scientific outreach should not present itself as the absolute truth or only answer, but rather push the audience to learn more, to question itself and transmit the importance of a scientific method based on proving a hypothesis in a consistent manner. The scientific community must not fall into believing that because the internet has democratized the access to educational material everyone is using it in this way or that certain topics are “common knowledge”.
Outreach for policy makers, the importance of knowing what is being funded
Communication of scientific results must also be angled towards government institutions in a way that makes it appealing to fund further investigations in various topics. Current investment in research and development is below 2.5% of the GDP in most OECD countries.[2] For countries in South America, such as Chile and Argentina this value is below 1%.[3] Understanding the scope of the scientific research and technologies developed under public funding both from the governments and from the taxpayers is crucial towards pushing for larger investments and career development opportunities in academia.
Outreach gives tools to become better scientists
It has been documented that participating in outreach activities has an impact not only on the public, but also on the people that create and present the activity. Most scientists that participated in projects such as “Present your PhD thesis to a 12-year-old” and “Shadow a Scientist” reported that the opportunity had increased their interest in outreach, helped them become better speakers, gave them new perspectives on research and considered it a valuable addition to their formal graduate training.[4]
Even though it shows to be a productive and positive experience, less than 30% of scientists report to frequently addressing schools, mass media or journalists.[5] While outreach should not be left to be an individual task, but rather an institutional effort that supports and helps individuals communicate their findings, it is important that as part of the academic tasks we consider time for these activities. A possible reason for this is the idea that it is necessary to be a perfect communicator or a highly renowned academic to actively engage in outreach activities. It is however important to show the diversity of people in academia and the various stages of scientific accomplishment. If only the highly successful cases are shown, then the stereotypes and social biases are enhanced and science drifts further away from people outside academia.
Outreach can change stereotypes and scientific culture
Showcasing women in science or other people from underrepresented communities that are participating in academic research is key to inspire the younger generations. The motto is, “If she can see it, she can be it”: by setting the example the impact is higher and transcends social stereotypes. However, it is important to not fall into only showcasing highly successful people from underrepresented communities, as this builds into the super-person figure. An example of this would be constantly promoting only Nobel Laureates as inspiring characters; while their science is great, they represent a small percentage of the academic field and particularly in respect to women laureates in science, they are mostly (except for one) from the northern hemisphere.
The use of social media can aid in showcasing in a familiar way the experiences and realities of scientists from different backgrounds and stages in their careers. Several individuals currently use popular platforms like Instagram and TikTok to share their paths, inspiring younger generations and diversifying the image of what an academic/scientist looks like.
Several institutions have also taken part in outreach through social media; in this case, as they represent the work of many scientists from a variety of backgrounds, they can help in highlighting that science, particularly astronomy, requires an international and multidisciplinary effort. Through the use of communication platforms these institutions can shape the view of how scientists work as a collective and send a powerful message of unity and diversity in a complex time of our history.
Communication of science is a powerful tool: how we communicate, what we communicate and who communicates sends a message that leaks into society and its effect must not be underestimated. The task of doing outreach must be valued as a job in itself. Scientists will participate, but they should be led or assisted by professionals in areas of communications. Institutions are ultimately responsible for producing quality outreach materials. Those who partake in outreach should not only be the most highly accomplished scientists (by current academic standards), at every stage science should be shown and the teamwork effort behind each discovery highlighted. The message matters: scientific outreach should not move away from discussing topics of diversity and migration which are fundamental to scientific progress and also relevant in the current world political context. Overall, outreach helps us build bridges and move forward within both academia and society; it must be prioritized and evolve together with the new technologies and platforms to reach vast audiences.
[1] https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/conspiracy-vs-science-a-survey-of-us-public-beliefs
[2] https://www.oecd.org/sti/inno/researchanddevelopmentstatisticsrds.htm
[3] http://data.uis.unesco.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=SCN_DS&lang=en#
[4] https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.1002368