Discover science communication

This text is part of a special notebook Relève en recherche

It could be in the form of a newspaper report, a podcast, or even a comic strip: Science communication, the topic of a talk on October 27 during Acfa’s Emerging Research Days, is an integral part of a researcher’s career.

“There is communication between scientists themselves, which is very important for the advancement of science. Then there is communication of science to the general population. It is divided To many different types of audiences.”

When we address people who are not from the field, the reason for scientific communication, defines M^I Poisson is the success of making a sometimes complex subject accessible to everyone. “Are we talking to young people? Are we talking to busy parents who don’t have a lot of time to gather important information? You really have to know how to tailor your message and what level of complexity you’re going to be able to convey,” she stresses.

Generalization techniques

“In our school career, we have all had teachers who made an impression on us because they had this ability to impart knowledge that might have amazed us when we were younger. It’s important because it motivates us ourselves to do the same.” […]I think it’s important to encourage the next generation to be interested in science in general,” believes Elric Duhamel, a doctoral student in industrial engineering at Montreal Polytechnic and a digital correspondent for Radio-Canada.

When he started out as a researcher, Mr. Duhamel became interested in interdisciplinarity while earning a master’s degree in engineering, a concept that was quite “abstract” for him, he says. So use a Venn diagram to explain it better. “There are many definitions for this concept, so I enjoyed finding a way to represent it visually. I used a diagram to illustrate the concept. It helped me explain it more easily,” he says.

Promotion techniques like those used by Mr. Duhamel, there are many others that arouse the interest of the public, continues Perrin-Poisson. “If you present your research in the form of a story or investigation, incorporating anecdotes you’ve encountered, the fact that the research is covered in this way is generally a real win for different audiences,” she says. For example.

Practice and dare

So how do you become a good science communicator? Besides practice, you just need to have the courage to start and, above all, be ready to receive help, according to Elric Duhamel and Perrin Poisson. “The world of science communication is very open. They are truly inspiring and passionate people. These are people who want to share their love of science and shine a light in the eyes of the audience they want to speak to.”^I Fish.

“By doing that you can develop things. […] It also means being part of the next generation of researchers. If you are in a learning context, you have the right to make mistakes. At this level, I think this is what limits people, but you shouldn’t hesitate to get started [dans la communication scientifique] », advises Mr. Duhamel.

There are also many resources to support all those who wish to embark on this science communication adventure. Since 1977, we can count on the help of the Society for Communication of Science of Quebec (ACS) to improve the conditions of people working in this environment and to awaken the population’s interest in scientific culture.

This content was produced by the Special Publications team at duty, related to marketing. Writing the duty Did not participate.

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