Careers in Science Communication

1
Careersin Science Communication

• Barbara Gastel, MD, MPH
• Texas AM University
• bgastel_at_cvm.tamu.edu

2
Overview

• Niches in science communication
• Career preparation
• Organizations
• Some reading
• Quiz Is a science communication career for you?
• Questions and answers

3
Nichesin Science Communication
Illustration courtesy of XVIVO Scientific
Animation
4
Popular Media

• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Newsletters
• Radio
• Television
• Websites
• Books
• Other

5
Notes

• In popular and other media, work may entail
  writing, editing, or both.
• Increasingly, science communicators are working
  in more than one medium.

6
Public Informationand Public Relations

• Government agencies
• Universities
• Medical facilities
• Health-related organizations
• Environmental and other advocacy groups
• Professional societies
• Public relations firms
• 0ther

7
Scientific Communication

• Journals (roles include scientific editor,
  managing editor, manuscript editor)
• Trade magazines
• Pharmaceutical and other companies
• Books
• Authors editing
• Test preparation
• Other

8
Other

• Museums
• Scientific illustration
• Teaching of science communication
• Other
• Note Some science-communication professionals
  freelance, either exclusively or in addition to
  holding a job.

9
Career Preparation
10
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 AM University
• University of California, Santa Cruz
• University of North Carolina

11
Other

• Internships (established or ad hoc)
• AAAS Mass Media Fellowships (http//www.aaas.org/p
  rograms/education/MassMedia)
• Other fellowships
• On-the-job training (formal or ad hoc)
• Workshops, short courses, etc held by
  professional organizations

12
Organizations
13
Some Organizations

• 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)

14
Some Reading
15
Some Reading

• A Field Guide for Science Writers (Blum, Knudson,
  and Henig)
• Ideas Into Words Mastering the Craft of Science
  Writing (Hancock)
• Health Writers Handbook (Gastel)
• Publications of the organizations notedfor
  example
• AMWA Journal (AMWA)
• Science Editor (CSE)
• ScienceWriters (NASW)

16
Quiz Is a science communication careerfor you?
17
Quiz

• 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?

18
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?

19
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?

20
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.

21
Questions and Answers
22
Thank you!