Science of Science Communication Scientific Interest Group

NEW! “Does science self-correct? What we’ve learned at Retraction Watch” by Dr. Ivan Oransky, Editor in Chief, Spectrum; Distinguished Writer in Residence, New York University's Arthur Carter Journalism Institute; and Co-Founder, Retraction Watch.

Thursday, April 6, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. ET

https://nih.zoomgov.com/j/1600842958?pwd=dkJsT2pQVWZudkhPUGtuU2lLWEVsZz09 

Ivan Oransky, MD, is an expert science journalist who co-founded the Retraction Watch blog in 2010 with Adam Marcus. As they stated then, “science takes justifiable pride in the fact that it is self-correcting — most of the time.” In the last decade, we have seen rapid changes in the publishing world, including a huge rise in what are called “the nuclear option of scientific corrections.” Retraction Watch has continued to shed light on scientific processes while asking important questions about coverage, consistency (or lack thereof), and consequences. Join us to hear from a leader in medical and scientific journalism on a topic that can greatly affect science communication.

Effectively communicating research results to a broad range of audiences is integral to the scientific process. The ability to tell rigorous and compelling stories of science can elevate a researcher’s profile, facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations, and increase the impact of their scholarly publications within the scientific community. Perhaps more importantly, strong communication can also enhance public engagement with science, allowing researchers to build bridges of trust with non-technical audiences and instill a sense of curiosity and wonder among inquiring minds. While artistry is no doubt critical to communications, there exists an underlying body of literature that draws from fields including psychology, sociology, and political science that provide a theoretical foundation for scientific communications.

The NIH Science of Science Communication Interest Group (ScioSciComm-SIG) plans to focus specifically on the scientific design and evaluation of science communication, with seminars/journal clubs highlighting both measures of effectiveness and methods to increase general success or target efforts to respond to specific goals.

The interest group is chaired by Chris Gunter (NHGRI) and Maryam Zaringhalam (NLM). Membership in the ScioSciComm-SIG will be open to all interested individuals within the NIH, who can join the listserv via https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?A0=SCIOSCICOMM. A combination of face-to-face meetings and remote webinars will be held monthly (days and times to be determined). For more information and instructions on joining the newsletter, contact Drs. Zaringhalam or Gunter.

Previous lectures:

2023 February 2: “Community-based public health communication” by Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz, Associate Professor, Vice-Chair, Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University

Chair

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This page was last updated on Thursday, March 23, 2023