NIH Science of Science Communication SIG

Authors

• MR Rubin
• M Katerji
• CC Woodroofe
• E Lindberg
• RE Swenson
• J Brognard

Abstract

In July 2022, we created and held the first meeting for the NIH Science of Science Communication Interest Group (ScioSciComm-SIG) to respond to an NIH-wide interest in focusing specifically on the scientific design and evaluation of science communication. Our SIG holds seminars and journal clubs highlighting both measures of effectiveness and methods to increase general success or target efforts to respond to specific goals. As of July 2023, we have nearly 600 interested members and have held monthly meetings in response to the most-requested topics from our members. In order, these included communicating scientific uncertainty, strategies to combat misinformation in public health, science in the news (focused on retractions), the future of preprints and pre-publication peer review, and community-based public health communication. NIH researchers have used findings shared in these seminars directly in their public communication projects and institutional activities.
More importantly, this SIG forms a nucleus of parties at NIH who want to establish best, evidence-based practices for science communication in almost all fields of biomedicine. In a few short months, this has already built networks and connections throughout the NIH campus and beyond. We serve as a resource for NIH staff to address the challenges of not just putting scientific information out to the public, but also understanding the underlying body of literature from psychology, sociology, and political science that provide a theoretical foundation for scientific communications. The NIH ScioSciComm-SIG is a nascent, valuable opportunity to address the challenges of theory meeting real-world experience in this area.

Scientific Focus Area: Social and Behavioral Sciences

This page was last updated on Monday, September 25, 2023