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Effective Science Communication
(Second Edition)
A practical guide to surviving as a scientist
Effective Science Communication
(Second Edition)
A practical guide to surviving as a scientist

Sam Illingworth
School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia,
Perth, Australia

Grant Allen
School of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Manchester,
Manchester, UK

IOP Publishing, Bristol, UK

ª IOP Publishing Ltd 2020

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording
or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, or as expressly permitted by law or
under terms agreed with the appropriate rights organization. Multiple copying is permitted in
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Permission to make use of IOP Publishing content other than as set out above may be sought
at permissions@ioppublishing.org.

Sam Illingworth and Grant Allen have asserted their right to be identified as the authors of this
work in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

ISBN 978-0-7503-2520-2 (ebook)

ISBN 978-0-7503-2518-9 (print)
ISBN 978-0-7503-2521-9 (myPrint)
ISBN 978-0-7503-2519-6 (mobi)

DOI 10.1088/978-0-7503-2520-2

Version: 20200501

IOP ebooks

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data: A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library.

Published by IOP Publishing, wholly owned by The Institute of Physics, London

IOP Publishing, Temple Circus, Temple Way, Bristol, BS1 6HG, UK

US Office: IOP Publishing, Inc., 190 North Independence Mall West, Suite 601, Philadelphia,
PA 19106, USA
For Becky and Ian, whose love and support enable us to do the jobs that we love.
 Contents

Second edition preface xi

Acknowledgements xii
Author biographies xiii

1 Introduction 1-1
1.1 Introduction 1-1
1.2 How to use this book 1-2
1.3 Summary 1-4
1.4 Further study 1-4
1.5 Suggested reading 1-5
References 1-5

2 Publishing work in academic journals 2-1

2.1 Introduction 2-1
2.2 Scoping your deliverables 2-2
2.3 Choosing a journal 2-5
2.4 Writing and manuscript preparation 2-7
2.5 The peer review process 2-9
2.6 Reviewing papers 2-12
2.7 Citations and metrics 2-14
2.8 Summary 2-16
2.9 Further study 2-16
2.10 Suggested reading 2-17
References 2-17

3 Applying for funding 3-1

3.1 Introduction 3-1
3.2 What makes a good idea? 3-2
3.3 Finding funding 3-5
3.4 Anatomy of a research proposal 3-8
3.4.1 Case for support 3-8
3.4.2 Pathway to impact 3-11
3.5 Budgeting 3-12
3.6 The funding process 3-14

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 Effective Science Communication (Second Edition)

3.7 Summary 3-17

3.8 Further study 3-17
3.9 Suggested reading 3-18
References 3-18

4 Presenting 4-1
4.1 Introduction 4-1
4.2 A three-way approach 4-2
4.2.1 Developing your narrative 4-2
4.2.2 Understanding your audience 4-4
4.2.3 Managing yourself 4-7
4.3 Dealing with nerves 4-9
4.4 Rhetoric 4-10
4.5 PowerPoint 4-11
4.6 Timings 4-14
4.7 Answering questions 4-14
4.8 Poster design 4-16
4.9 Summary 4-20
4.10 Further study 4-20
4.11 Suggested reading 4-21
References 4-21

5 Outreach and public engagement 5-1

5.1 Introduction 5-1
5.2 Objectives, audiences, and formats 5-3
5.3 Different publics 5-5
5.4 Working with children 5-7
5.4.1 Children in a formal environment 5-8
5.4.2 Children in an informal environment 5-10
5.5 Different formats 5-11
5.6 Citizen science 5-14
5.7 Funding 5-15
5.8 Advertising 5-16
5.9 Evaluation 5-17
5.10 Initiative checklist 5-21
5.11 Examples of science communication initiatives 5-24

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 Effective Science Communication (Second Edition)

5.12 Summary 5-27

5.13 Further study 5-27
5.14 Suggested reading 5-28
References 5-28

6 Engaging with the mass media 6-1

6.1 Introduction 6-1
6.2 Why, when, and how to engage with the mass media 6-2
6.3 Press releases 6-3
6.4 Constructing a narrative for mass media 6-5
6.5 Television and radio interviews 6-8
6.6 Summary 6-12
6.7 Further study 6-13
6.8 Suggested reading 6-13
References 6-14

7 Establishing an online presence 7-1

7.1 Introduction 7-1
7.2 Blogs 7-2
7.3 Podcasts 7-5
7.4 Social media 7-7
7.4.1 Twitter 7-7
7.4.2 Facebook 7-9
7.4.3 LinkedIn 7-11
7.4.4 YouTube 7-13
7.4.5 ResearchGate 7-13
7.4.6 Others 7-14
7.5 Digital collaborations 7-14
7.6 Summary 7-15
7.7 Further study 7-16
7.8 Suggested reading 7-16
References 7-17

8 Science and policy 8-1

8.1 Introduction 8-1
8.2 How science informs policy 8-2
8.3 What you can do to inform policy 8-4

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 Effective Science Communication (Second Edition)

8.4 Impact from research 8-6

8.5 Summary 8-7
8.6 Further study 8-8
8.7 Suggested reading 8-8
References 8-9

9 Other essential research skills 9-1

9.1 Introduction 9-1
9.2 Time management 9-2
9.3 Networking 9-5
9.4 Teamwork 9-7
9.5 Objective reflection 9-8
9.6 Mentoring 9-9
9.7 Career planning 9-10
9.8 Open access 9-12
9.9 Integrity and malpractice 9-14
9.10 Promoting diversity 9-16
9.11 Summary 9-16
9.12 Further study 9-17
9.13 Suggested reading 9-18
References 9-18

x
 Second edition preface

In the three years since the first edition of this book was published, we have received
numerous helpful comments from various parties (colleagues, students, etc),
suggesting additional material that may further help the reader. Science communi-
cation, as both an academic discipline and a general practice, has also continued to
advance during this time, and in carefully re-reading and analysing the first edition
of this book, we realised that there was much more that we could offer.
Chapter 1 (Introduction) now provides a clearer distinction between the two
aspects of science communication that are discussed in this book: that which is
aimed at engaging scientists (inward-facing) and that which is aimed at engaging
non-scientists (outward-facing). The section on the development of science commu-
nication has also been removed from chapter 1, and a more considered introduction
to science communication as an academic discipline is instead now provided in
chapter 5 (Outreach and public engagement).
Some of the most extensive changes occur in chapter 5, which has been re-
structured and expanded. This chapter now includes a detailed discussion of how
(and why) to engage with diverse audiences, especially those that have been
traditionally underserved and under-heard by both science and science communi-
cation. Several specific examples of successful outward-facing science communica-
tion initiatives are also provided, including an exploration of why they have been so
effective in engaging with non-scientists.
As might be expected, chapter 7 (Establishing an online presence) needed to be
updated significantly in order to reflect rapid changes in the digital landscape.
Updating the various weblinks that were referenced in this chapter also prompted us
to re-consider the way in which the references were presented in the first edition, and
these have now been updated and reformatted for convenience.
Throughout the book, we have included more advice about how to be an ethical
and rigorous scientist, as well as a successful one, including a discussion of the need
to be inclusive and to encourage and celebrate diversity. This culminates in a re-
worked chapter 9 (Other essential research skills), which highlights a range of other
key skills and considerations relevant to the contemporary scientist.
The cartoons of Paul Dickens were many readers’ highlight from the first edition,
and we would like to thank Paul for both creating new cartoons and updating others
to better reflect the inclusivity that we hope this book will foster. Thanks also to the
IoP Publishing Team for standardising all of the images in this book so that they
look more appealing.
We hope that you enjoy this second edition, and look forward to receiving more
of your thoughts and helpful comments in due course.
Sam Illingworth & Grant Allen
Manchester, October 2019

xi
 Acknowledgements

This book is the result of two years of hard work between the two of us, but there are
many people who have contributed directly or indirectly through discussions and the
experiences they have offered to us. We would like to thank everyone that has ever
sat through one of our lectures, listened to one of our talks or put up with one of our
rants. Thank you to our scientific colleagues for the innovation, inspiration, and at
times perspiration that was necessary for us to shape our ideas.
Thank you also to our students and those we have met at the European
Geosciences Union conferences for providing us with feedback and insight during
the developmental phase of this book. We would especially like to thank Farrukh
Mehmood Shahid, Alexander Garrow, and Jack Richard Varley for their help.
We would also like to thank Leigh Jenkins and the team at IOP Publishing for
their help in preparing this book for publication. A big thanks also to Paul Dickens
for the wonderful cartoons that appear throughout the book; we really think they
help to illustrate some of points that we make and the issues that we raise. Special
thanks must also be given to the two anonymous reviewers, whose comments and
constructive criticisms helped to mould this book, ensuring that it was consistent and
effective in its message.

xii
 Author biographies

Sam Illingworth
Dr Sam Illingworth is a Senior Lecturer in Science Communication
at The University of Western Australia, with a background in the
atmospheric sciences and expertise in public engagement and out-
reach. His current research involves using poetry and games to
engender meaningful dialogue between scientists and non-scientists,
for which he has secured over £250 000 in funding from a range of
external funding bodies. He has an MA in Higher Education and is
a Senior Fellow of the UK’s Higher Education Academy, with over 50 peer-
reviewed publications in high-impact journals, and is the chief executive editor of the
journal Geoscience Communication. Sam writes several successful blogs (100 000+
readers per year) and over the last five years he has directly engaged with over 30 000
non-scientists, developing and delivering a variety of different science communica-
tion initiatives, ranging from community workshops and classroom visits to poetry
performances and SciArt exhibitions. He has been an invited keynote speaker at
dozens of international conferences and symposia, and has provided science
communication training for over 3000 scientists. You can find out more about Sam
and his work by visiting his website www.samillingworth.com, and connect to him
via Twitter @samillingworth.

Grant Allen
Grant Allen is a Professor of Atmospheric Physics at the University
of Manchester and currently the Director for the Environmental
Science degree programme there. His research interests include trace
gas measurement methods and remote sensing, especially from
aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles. Recent interests concern
methods and technologies for the quantification of greenhouse gas
emissions. After graduating with a PhD related to satellite remote
sensing at the University of Leicester in 2005, Grant was a postdoctoral research
associate at the University of Manchester, investigating tropical convection and
pollution transport. This was followed by a fully funded research fellowship, leading
to tenure at the University of Manchester in 2011. At the time of publication, Grant
has received over £2 million in funding from the Natural Environment Research
Council, United Nations, UK Government, and UK Environment Agency, for
projects related to these themes. He has submitted over 40 grant proposals, with over
80 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals, and delivered over 100
academic conference presentations and public lectures. In 2012, he was awarded a
Royal Society Westminster Pairing Fellowship to understand the science–policy

xiii
 Effective Science Communication (Second Edition)

interface. He is an editor for several journals and contributes to a range of scientific

strategy advisory committees. Grant has also featured in many popular science
documentaries and has been interviewed live on BBC and Sky News channels
discussing topics from volcanic eruptions to flooding. He has also taken part in over
40 radio interviews and provided expert comment for many hundreds of newspaper
articles relating to air quality and climate.

xiv