[ASC-list] Results of science communication research and practice survey

[Jenni Metcalfe]

Thanks to the 65 people who participated in the survey (30 involved in
research and practice; 30 practitioners and 5 researchers)

 

Congrats to Andrew Wight, our randomly selected winner of the draw, who
chose a book voucher as his prize.

 

Some of the most interesting results (to be incorporated into a book
being published this year) were:

 

THE SURVEY RESPONDENTS

*       55 respondents had a science degree of some kind, and 20 had an
arts / communication degree

*       20 respondents had specific science communication qualifications

*       Most practitioners are involved in writing (22/60); working with
students, teachers or youth (22/60); and events (20/60)

SCIENCE COMMUNICATION RESEARCH

*       Most research projects are about education, engagement, skills
development, and audience analysis

*       The tools most favoured for research are surveys, interviews,
focus groups and document analysis

*       The disciplines most involved in science communication research
are related to education, science communication, communication,
sociology, the history and philosophy of science, and social science

APPLICATION OF SCIENCE COMMUNICATION RESEARCH

*       Science communication research is mostly applied to events and
public programs, informal public communication, developing policy, and
training workshops for scientists or communicators

WHERE PRACTITIONERS GET THEIR IDEAS

*       Practitioners gain ideas to inform their practice mostly from
informal conversations, conferences or seminars, books or papers, or
from finding out about research

*       66% of practitioners read articles in journals and find them of
medium use

*       87% of practitioners seek advice from others and find such
advice very useful

*       92% of practitioners evaluate their practice in some way,
usually via surveys, feedback forms or analysis of web hits,
participation rates or media coverage

 

Jenni Metcalfe

Director, Econnect Communication

www.econnect.com.au

phone: 07 3846 7111; 0408 551 866

jenni at econnect.com.au

skype: jenni.metcalfe

subscribe to Econnect's free monthly e-newsletter:
http://www.econnect.com.au/news_newsletter.htm

 

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