Sobre alguns reptes i dificultats en la comunicació científica digital

En aquest mes d’agost de 2018, he trobat alguns articles interessants sobre la comunicació científica. Aquí n’hi ha alguns:

No s’acaba de tenir clar els beneficis de fer servir les xarxes socials, per part dels acadèmics. Al post In the era of Brexit and fake news, scientists need to embrace social media se’n parla, per exemple sobre si fer-les servir comprota algun benefici, s’hi diu que

There is no clear evidence that social media generates research impact that is beneficial to society, culture, and the economy, or at least it is very hard to measure. Some academics have even lost tenure as a result of their behaviour on Twitter, while others have tried to disguise their limited expertise by building a reputation for authority online. With mounting pressure on the time of academics, social media can seem like it isn’t worth the effort.

En tot cas, sembla que la reputació no pot pas minvar i això tothom ho té clar. Si es manté l’expertesa en algun tema, és clar.

Al post The right messaging should be the cornerstone of your research communications strategy s’hi comenta la importància que té tenir molt clar en què consisteix la recerca d’una persona, grup o institució. Una mica com els “elevator pitch”… si es tingués només 15 segons per trametre una idea… què es diria?

What is the one phrase that essentially captures the overall research agenda you want to be known for to a particular audience? Do you have this at the top of your mind? If you had a chance encounter with an important stakeholder – a policymaker or other key decision-maker – and had just two minutes to capture this individual’s attention, would you be able to communicate a compelling story that would encourage that person to ask for a meeting or more information?

M’ha agradat l’article The unspoken problem with sci comm on es parla dels trolls en ciència… potser al nostre àmbit de la química no n’hi tenim tants com en temés més relacionats amb la salut… però en tot cas n’hi ha. Està bé això que cal no esmerçar energia en respondre els trolls, sinó en parlar als que volen saber-ne més, o als que estan oberts a la reflexió i a la discussió racional.

The worst thing that can happen is to submit to the trolls’ desires and fall silent. Instead, we need to recognise that science communicators – especially women or those from minorities – are at risk. We need to improve the support options available to them and, as always, ensure that funding is there to help ease some of the invisible burdens of outreach (such as childcare costs). Finally, for those who are attacked, there’s one thing you already know that cuts through all of the venom and bile: you aren’t doing it for the haters, you’re doing it for the young girl who otherwise would grow up convinced she isn’t good enough to do science.

I per acabar… s’està pensant en el cansament de l’ús de les xarxes socials: Are We Becoming Disenchanted With Social Media?

Declining consumer confidence and disengagement is bound to affect how constituents respond to Facebook posts and other content over time, affecting how higher ed approaches this important channel

For example, while I know that one can’t trust anecdotal evidence, I’ve heard a lot of friends and acquaintances say they’re losing interest in Facebook. Last week, I was surprised to hear that a close family member — who posted a lot of content and was engaged in an extensive friend and family network on Facebook — closed her account.

I això val també per a twitter… segurament val menys per a les XXSS basades en la imatge, com Instagram… que per altra part són molt menys rellevants per a la comunicació de la ciència (al menys en són avui en dia).