Transcript Careers in Science Communication-for NIEHS

Careers
in Science Communication
Barbara Gastel, MD, MPH
Texas A&M University
[email protected]
Overview
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Niches in science communication
Career preparation
Organizations
Some reading
Quiz: Is a science communication career
for you?
• Questions and answers
Niches
in Science Communication
Illustration courtesy of XVIVO Scientific Animation
Popular Media
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Newsletters
• Radio
• Television
• Websites
• Books
• Other
Notes
• In popular and other media, work may
entail writing, editing, or both.
• Increasingly, science communicators are
working in more than one medium.
Public Information
and Public Relations
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Government agencies
Universities
Medical facilities
Health-related organizations
Environmental and other advocacy groups
Professional societies
Public relations firms
0ther
Scientific Communication
• Journals (roles include scientific editor,
managing editor, manuscript editor)
• Trade magazines
• Pharmaceutical and other companies
• Books
• Author’s editing
• Test preparation
• Other
Other
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Museums
Scientific illustration
Teaching of science communication
Other
Note: Some science-communication
professionals freelance, either exclusively
or in addition to holding a job.
Career Preparation
Graduate and Certificate
Programs
• Directory of Science Journalism Courses
and Programs:
http://dsc.journalism.wisc.edu
• Some sites of programs:
– Boston University
– New York University
– Texas A&M University
– University of California, Santa Cruz
– University of North Carolina
Other
• Internships (established or ad hoc)
• AAAS Mass Media Fellowships
(http://www.aaas.org/programs/education/Mass
Media)
• Other fellowships
• On-the-job training (formal or ad hoc)
• Workshops, short courses, etc held by
professional organizations
Organizations
Some Organizations
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American Medical Writers Association (AMWA)
Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ)
Council of Science Editors (CSE)
European Association of Science Editors
(EASE)
• National Association of Science Writers (NASW)
• Society of Environmental Journalists (SEJ)
• Society for Technical Communication (STC)
Some Reading
Some Reading
• A Field Guide for Science Writers (Blum,
Knudson, and Henig)
• Ideas Into Words: Mastering the Craft of Science
Writing (Hancock)
• Health Writer’s Handbook (Gastel)
• Publications of the organizations noted—for
example:
– AMWA Journal (AMWA)
– Science Editor (CSE)
– ScienceWriters (NASW)
Quiz: Is a science
communication career
for you?
Quiz
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Have you enjoyed courses in fields other than
science? Did you consider majoring in English
or another field within liberal arts? Did you
minor in such a field?
Are you an avid reader? Do you find yourself
editing what you read? Do topics for writing
often occur to you?
Do you like word games? For example, do you
enjoy crossword puzzles and Scrabble?
Quiz (cont)
• Have teachers or others complimented you on
your writing?
• Did you serve on, or consider serving on, a
school newspaper or other student publication?
• Do you consider yourself a science generalist?
Rather than wanting to focus on a narrow
research area, do you like to learn about various
areas of science? Do you find yourself more
interested in knowing what other researchers
are doing than in doing your own research?
Quiz (cont)
• Do you like to view science in its broad context?
Are you interested not only in research itself but
also in its applications and implications?
• In laboratory projects, are you often the team
member who writes things up? Do you find this
role satisfying?
• Do others ask you to edit what they wrote? Do
they otherwise approach you for help with their
writing?
Quiz (cont)
• Does a science communication career
sound like fun to you? Is writing or editing
something that you would look forward to
doing each day?
If you answered “yes” to many of these
questions, a science communication
career might well be for you.
Questions and Answers
Thank you!