Inclusive Science Communications Research
On this page, you'll find research and texts about making the field of science communications more inclusive.
Science Communication Demands a Critical Approach That Centers Inclusion, Equity, and Intersectionality
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00002/full
Authors: Katherine N. Canfield, Sunshine Menezes, Shayle B. Matsuda, Amelia Moore, Alycia N. Mosley Austin, Bryan M. Dewsbury, Mónica I. Fuliú-Mójer, Katharine W.B. McDuffie, Kendall Moore, Christine A. Reich, Hollie M. Smith, Cynthia Taylor
Abstract: “We live in an era of abundant scientific information, yet access to information and to opportunities for substantive public engagement with the processes and outcomes of science are still inequitably distributed. Even with increasing interest in science communication and public engagement with science, historically marginalized and minoritized individuals and communities are largely overlooked and undervalued in these efforts. To address this gap, this paper aims to define inclusive science communication and clarify and amplify the field. We present inclusive science communication as one path forward to redress the systemic problems of inequitable access to and engagement with STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine). We describe the first national Inclusive Science Communication (InclusiveSciComm) Symposium held in the U.S. Based on the experience of organizing the symposium, we discuss recommendations for other convenings to help build a community of practice for inclusive science communication. In both research and practice, we advocate for more experimentation to help make inclusive science communication the future of science communication writ large, in order to engage diverse publics in their multiple ways of knowing and expand a sense of belonging in STEMM.”
The State of Inclusive Science Communication: A Landscape Study
https://inclusivescicomm.org/files/State-of-Inclusive-SciComm-2020.pdf
Authors: Katherine Canfield, Sunshine Menezes
Abstract: “Inclusive science communication (ISC) is a new and broad term that encompasses all efforts to engage specific audiences in conversations or activities about science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) topics, including, but not limited to, public engagement, informal science learning, journalism, and formal science education. Unlike other approaches toward science communication, however, ISC research and practice is grounded in inclusion, equity, and intersectionality, making these concerns central to the goals, design, implementation, evaluation, and refinement of science communication efforts. Together, the diverse suite of insights and practices that inform ISC comprise an emerging movement.”
Feeling Left Out: Underserved Audiences in Science Communication
Authors: Christian Humm, Philipp Schrögel, Annette LeBmöllmann
Abstract: “Science communication only reaches certain segments of society. Various underserved audiences are detached from it and feel left out, which is a challenge for democratic societies that build on informed participation in deliberative processes. While only recently researchers and practitioners have addressed the question on the detailed composition of the not reached groups, even less is known about the emotional impact on underserved audiences: feelings and emotions can play an important role in how science communication is received, and “feeling left out” can be an important aspect of exclusion. In this exploratory study, we provide insights from interviews and focus groups with three different underserved audiences in Germany. We found that on the one hand, material exclusion factors such as available infrastructure or financial means as well as specifically attributable factors such as language skills, are influencing the audience composition of science communication. On the other hand, emotional exclusion factors such as fear, habitual distance, and self- as well as outside-perception also play an important role. Therefore, simply addressing material aspects can only be part of establishing more inclusive science communication practices. Rather, being aware of emotions and feelings can serve as a point of leverage for science communication in reaching out to underserved audiences.”
The SciCommDiversity Travel Fellowship: The Challenge of Creating a Sustainable Intervention
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00051/full
Authors: Alberto I. Roca, Cynthia-Lou Coleman, Tara S. Haelle, Danielle N. Lee
Abstract: “Diversifying a community requires outreach, recruitment, and retention which in this case targets the science communication (SciComm) workforce. Establishing a strategy to accomplish such diversification includes designing, launching, and sustaining the new intervention. Here we review the 6-years history of the DiverseScholar SciCommDiversity Travel Fellowship. This intervention was designed to build a community of minority science communicators that would interact with experienced professionals at the ScienceWriters conference. The travel fellowship reduces the financial burden of conference attendance while introducing the fellows to mentors who facilitate networking and knowledge-building during the event’s professional development opportunities. The first two years of the fellowship were catalyzed by Idea Grants from the National Association of Science Writers—producers of the ScienceWriters event. Two strategies were used to engage potential fellowship applicants. First, we sought minority journalists interested in STEM topics who wished to extend beyond their standard reporting beats (tech, politics, etc.). Such student and professional journalists were found by networking with and producing conference panels at the National Association of Black Journalists and the Native American Journalists Association annual events. For the second strategy, we found minority scientists who were interested in exploring how to convert their social media and blogging activities to professional writing/reporting careers. We attracted such individuals through our activities at annual conferences such as the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science as well as the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. Overall, one particular challenge of an intervention is financial sustainability once catalytic (grant) funds end. Here, we describe our model for a sustainable and synergistic intervention that positions the SciCommDiversity Travel Fellowship within the overall program of DiverseScholar’s doctoral recruiting services. The fellowship is now funded internally from advertising sales revenue from the DiverseScholar MinorityPostdoc.org career portal. The website, though, is more than just a job board since the travel fellows contribute original reporting to the online magazine. Thus, beyond just reducing financial barriers, the fellowship’s mentoring, and publishing opportunities can advance a fellow’s entry into the SciComm profession.”
Socially inclusive science communication
https://jcom.sissa.it/archive/13/02/JCOM_1302_2014_C01
Authors: Luisa Massarani and Matteo Merzagora
Abstract: “Social inclusion is an emerging preoccupation in the science communication field. The political value of science communication (e.g. in terms of empowerment) and the necessity to address all audiences has always been considered, but in recent times the participation agenda has enriched the rationale and methodologies of the communication of science: social inclusion is not only an issue of access to knowledge, but also of governance and co-production.”
Beyond the Choir? The Need to Understand Multiple Publics for Science
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17524032.2018.1521543
Author: Dietram A. Scheufele
Abstract: “Understanding different publics for science communication is more important than ever before. The articles in this special issue lay important groundwork for our field to develop a better understanding of how audience segments differ or overlap across issues, cultural contexts, stages of the issue cycle, and different analytic and methodological approaches. The long-term goal of this work should be to enable more effective communication with publics whose demographic, socio-structural, or value-based characteristics position them squarely outside of the proverbial choir that science communication is often preaching to.”
Culture and Identity-Protective Cognition: Explaining the White Male Effect, 2007
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=995634
Published in: Journal of Empirical Legal Studies
Authors: Dan M. Kahan, Donald Braman, John Gastil, Paul Slovic, C.K. Mertz
Abstract: “Why do white men fear various risks less than women and minorities? Known as the white male effect, this pattern is well documented but poorly understood. This paper proposes a new explanation: identity-protective cognition. Putting work on the cultural theory of risk together with work on motivated cognition in social psychology suggests that individuals selectively credit and dismiss asserted dangers in a manner supportive of their preferred form of social organization. This dynamic, it is hypothesized, drives the white male effect, which reflects the risk skepticism that hierarchical and individualistic white males display when activities integral to their cultural identities are challenged as harmful. The article presents the results of an 1,800-person study that confirmed that cultural worldviews interact with the impact of gender and race on risk perception in patterns that suggest cultural-identity-protective cognition. It also discusses the implication of these findings for risk regulation and communication.”
Reimagining publics and (non) participation: Exploring exclusion from science communication through the experiences of low-income, minority ethnic groups, 2018
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0963662517750072
Published in: Public Understanding of Science
Authors: Emily Dawson
Abstract: “This article explores science communication from the perspective of those most at risk of exclusion, drawing on ethnographic fieldwork. I conducted five focus groups and 32 interviews with participants from low-income, minority ethnic backgrounds. Using theories of social reproduction and social justice, I argue that participation in science communication is marked by structural inequalities (particularly ethnicity and class) in two ways. First, participants’ involvement in science communication practices was narrow (limited to science media consumption). Second, their experiences of exclusion centred on cultural imperialism (misrepresentation and ‘Othering’) and powerlessness (being unable to participate or change the terms of their participation). I argue that social reproduction in science communication constructs a narrow public that reflects the shape, values and practices of dominant groups, at the expense of the marginalised. The article contributes to how we might reimagine science communication’s publics by taking inclusion/exclusion and the effects of structural inequalities into account.”
The cultural side of science communication, 2014
https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/111/Supplement_4/13621.full.pdf
Published in: PNAS
Authors: Douglas L. Medin, Megan Bang
Abstract: “The main proposition of this paper is that science communication necessarily involves and includes cultural orientations. There is a substantial body of work showing that cultural differences in values and epistemological frameworks are paralleled with cultural differences reflected in artifacts and public representations. One dimension of cultural difference is the psychological distance between humans and the rest of nature. Another is perspective taking and attention to context and relationships. As an example of distance, most (Western) images of ecosystems do not include human beings, and European American discourse tends to position human beings as being apart from nature. Native American discourse, in contrast, tends to describe humans beings as a part of nature. We trace the correspondences between cultural properties of media, focusing on children’s books, and cultural differences in biological cognition. Finally, implications for both science communication and science education are outlined.”
Moving towards a more inclusive patient and public involvement in health research paradigm: the incorporation of a trauma-informed intersectional analysis, 2017
https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-017-2463-1
Published in: BMC Health Services Research
Authors: Carolyn Shimmin, Kristy D. M. Wittmeier, Josée G. Lavoie, Evan D. Wicklund & Kathryn M. Sibley
Abstract: “This article provides key concepts to the incorporation of a trauma-informed intersectional analysis and important questions to consider when developing a patient engagement strategy in health research training, practice and evaluation. In redefining the identity of both “patient” and “researcher,” spaces and opportunities to resist and renegotiate power within the intersubjective relations can be recognized and addressed, in turn helping to build trust, transparency and resiliency — integral to the advancement of the science of patient engagement in health research.”
Improving Environmental Health Literacy and Justice through Environmental Exposure Results Communication, 2016
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4962231/
Published in: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Authors: Monica D Ramirez-Andreotta, Julia Green Brody, Nathan Lothrop, Miranda Loh, Paloma I Beamer, Phil Brown
Abstract: “Understanding the short- and long-term impacts of a biomonitoring and exposure project and reporting personal results back to study participants is critical for guiding future efforts, especially in the context of environmental justice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate learning outcomes from environmental communication efforts and whether environmental health literacy goals were met in an environmental justice community. We conducted 14 interviews with parents who had participated in the University of Arizona’s Metals Exposure Study in Homes and analyzed their responses using NVivo, a qualitative data management and analysis program. Key findings were that participants used the data to cope with their challenging circumstances, the majority of participants described changing their families’ household behaviors, and participants reported specific interventions to reduce family exposures. The strength of this study is that it provides insight into what people learn and gain from such results communication efforts, what participants want to know, and what type of additional information participants need to advance their environmental health literacy. This information can help improve future report back efforts and advance environmental health and justice.”
Finding Pathways to More Equitable and Meaningful Public-Scientist Partnerships, 2016
https://theoryandpractice.citizenscienceassociation.org/article/10.5334/cstp.46/
Published in: Citizen Science: Theory and Practice
Authors: Daniela Soleri, Jonathan W. Long, Mónica D. Ramirez-Andreotta, Rose Eitemiller, Rajul Pandya
Abstract: “For many, citizen science is exciting because of the possibility for more diverse, equitable partnerships in scientific research with outcomes considered meaningful and useful by all, including public participants. This was the focus of a symposium we organized at the 2015 conference of the Citizen Science Association. Here we synthesize points made by symposium participants and our own reflections. Professional science has a participation problem that is part of a larger equity problem in society. Inequity in science has negative consequences including a failure to address the needs and goals arising from diverse human and social experiences, for example, lack of attention to issues such as environmental contamination that disproportionately impact under-represented populations, and a failure to recognize the pervasive effects of structural racism. Inequity also encourages mistrust of science and scientists. A perception that science is practiced for the sole benefit of dominant social groups is reinforced when investigations of urgent community concerns such as hydraulic fracturing are questioned as being biased endeavors. Defined broadly, citizen science can challenge and change this inequity and mistrust, but only if it reflects the diversity of publics, and if it doesn’t reinforce existing inequities in science and society. Key will be the way that science is portrayed: Acknowledging the presence of bias in all scientific research and the tools available for minimizing this, and demonstrating the utility of science for local problem solving and policy change. Symposium participants called for reflexive research, mutual learning, and other methods for supporting more equitable engagement in practice and in the activities of the Citizen Science Association.”
Situating the Scientist: Creating Inclusive Science Communication Through Equity Framing and Environmental Justice
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00006/full
Published in: Frontiers in Communication
Authors: Emily Polk, Sibyl Diver
Abstract: “This article draws on environmental justice (EJ) scholarship to develop a novel concept of equity framing that can be used to achieve more inclusive science communication. We argue that centering equity in our communications framing can provide an essential point of access for marginalized communities to engage with scientific communication, and also an important opportunity for scientific researchers and writers to become more accountable to disadvantaged communities. Viewing science communication through an equity lens asks communicators to not only frame science in ways that are salient to particular audiences, but it also asks communicators to attend to particular discriminatory historical practices that have targeted marginalized communities, and continue to do so through current scientific discourse. EJ strategies for equity framing include asking science communicators to (1) become aware of their own positionality and partial perspectives, (2) name sources of inequity that arise from uneven power relations, and (3) find intersections with initiatives that are rooted in the experiences of disadvantaged communities. To ground our approach to equity framing, we also present our experiences teaching Stanford University's first comprehensive class on environmental justice as a case study. Key outcomes included: adding missing perspectives to scientific knowledge production by inviting representatives from diverse and marginalized communities to teach us; increasing the social relevance of scientific findings by asking our students to center the concerns and insights of marginalized communities in their communication; and encouraging collective action to address equity concerns and achieve a healthier society for all.”
CómoSciWri: Resources to Help Science Writers Engage Bicultural and Bilingual Audiences in the United States
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00010/full
Published in: Frontiers in Communication
Authors: Ben Young Landis, Aleszu Bajak, Jenny F. de la Hoz, José G. González, Robin Gose, Claudia Pineda Tibbs and Becky Oskin
From the introduction: “Science writing in the U.S.—from journalistic stories to institutional content—have largely relied on references, examples, and narratives that resonate best with white American audiences. People of color represented just 22.6% of the workforce in U.S. newsrooms in a recent survey [American Society of News Editors (ASNE), 2018]. This bias has consequences (Kueffer and Larson, 2014). When editors and writers overlook the perspectives and narratives of oppressed peoples and minority cultures, they miss reporting on fallacies or prejudices within the scientific endeavor itself. The history of science and the media in the U.S. are littered with examples of “Columbusing” that devalue, erase, or co-opt the perspective of colonized, Indigenous, or formerly enslaved peoples (e.g., discoveries resulting from medical experimentation on African American bodies; failing to credit traditional ecological and agricultural knowledge held by tribes and slaves; overlooking the disproportionate exposure of migrant workers to pesticides; Salinas, 2014; Judkis, 2017). Equally culpable are examples of “Hispandering”—when a writer crosses the fine line from acknowledging to patronizing an ethnic group through the writer's choice of narrative and language (e.g., using a Cultural Deficit Model that devalues or erases the cultural assets and resources of a demographic group while emphasizing its deficiencies and failings, often in stereotype; Salkind, 2008).”
Science Communication in Multiple Languages Is Critical to Its Effectiveness
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00031/full
Published in: Frontiers in Communication
Authors: Melissa C. Márquez and Ana Maria Porras
From the introduction: “Facing the biggest existential threats to humanity requires understanding and support of science at a global scale, as exemplified by a multitude of climate-related natural disasters (Garcia Escobar and Rabanales, 2020; Stone, 2020) and the recent COVID-19 outbreak (Zarocostas, 2020). This opinion piece discusses some consequences of the (almost exclusive) use of English in the current global scientific landscape, and provides recommendations to expand both formal and informal science communication beyond the English language.”
Moving Toward Inclusion: Participant Responses to the Inclusive SciComm Symposium
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2019.00077/full
Published in: Frontiers in Communication
Authors: Hollie Smith, Sunshine Menezes, Katherine Canfield, Rachel Guldin, Meredith Morgoch and Katharine McDuffie
Abstract: “This study shares key findings from evaluation research for Inclusive SciComm: A Symposium on Advancing Inclusive Public Engagement with Science. The symposium, organized by the University of Rhode Island's Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting with support from partner organizations, took place on September 28 and 29, 2018 at the University of Rhode Island. Pre- and post-symposium surveys showed that after attending the symposium, participants reported higher levels of knowledge about and confidence in implementing inclusive approaches to science communication. Participants also exhibited three types of response orientations: emotion, knowledge, and action.”
Linking Scholarship and Practice: Narrative and Identity in Science
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00035/full
Published in: Frontiers in Communication
Authors: Liz Neeley, Erin Barker, Skylar R. Bayer, Reyhaneh Maktoufi, Katherine J. Wu and Maryam Zaringhalam
Abstract: “In recent years, science communicators have enthusiastically embraced storytelling as a means of dramatizing the process of science and humanizing the scientists who conduct it. Compared to evidence-based argumentation, narratives do tend to be more engaging, more comprehensible, more believable, and more persuasive to non-specialist audiences. However, the gaps between research and practice in this field are considerable, in part because both comprise many distinct areas of expertise. Here, we draw on our experience as a professional storytelling organization and seek to narrow some of these gaps by linking the scholarship to our practice, and to encourage engagement with scholars about future directions in the field. This perspective article intends to synthesize theory and practice to address two major questions: What is the impact of stories on audiences? What is the impact of stories on their tellers? We consider both questions in the knowledge that science and science communication are only beginning to address the historic and ongoing underrepresentation of stories from many racial, ethnic, cultural, religious, gender, and socioeconomic groups. We focus on how stories influence social stereotypes about scientists, as well as identity and belonging within science, and conclude with the link between narrative identity and mental health and well-being.”
Broadening Perspectives on Broadening Participation: Professional Learning Tools for More Expansive and Equitable Science Communication
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00052/full
Published in: Frontiers in Communication
Authors: Bronwyn Bevan, Angela Calabrese Barton and Cecilia Garibay
Abstract: “Many professionals in the field of science communication have argued that our work too often tends to be designed for people like ourselves—those already interested in, comfortable with, and engaged with science. Thus, our work, ostensibly intended to broaden who engages with STEM, may in fact be exacerbating rather than reducing disparities with regard to who has access to and makes use of designed (vs. everyday) opportunities for science engagement. In this conceptual analysis, we posit that inclusive science communication must be conceptualized as a process of cultural exchange, rather than as a process of translation. Thus, the goal is not to speak more simply or more loudly, but rather with more understanding and mutualism. We share the results of an exploratory project that developed a suite of research briefs designed to support science communication professionals in reflecting on key structural barriers that operate to institutionalize science as an non-inclusive domain of activity. We conclude that more dialogic ways of professional learning among science communicators can reveal biases, gaps between goals and reality, and other underlying practices that must be addressed if we are to advance inclusive forms of science communication.”
Activating Neighborliness Frames: Drawing on Culturally-Relevant Discourses of Community to Build a Stronger and More Diverse Environmental Movement
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00007/full
Published in: Frontiers in Communication
Author: Liz Carlisle
Abstract: “In this article, I draw on my experience as an environmental social scientist and narrative nonfiction writer conducting research in working class conservative agricultural communities that frequently challenge or reject science communication. Based on my own trial-and-error path as a public intellectual committed to advancing sustainable agriculture, I present a method that I've developed to promote broader and more diverse public dialogue about environmental problem solving. Acknowledging that people interpret the world through socially-reinforced cultural cognition and pre-existing cognitive frames—and also that humans are social animals who thrive in groups I propose that frames can be the science communicator's friend. I have yet to find a community that does not have some connection to ancestral or local knowledge about community interdependence and the importance of being a good neighbor. Indeed, I often find that these “neighborliness” frames are at the very core of people's cultural cognition. Such neighborliness frames, in turn, provide a strong foundation for environmental consciousness. Thus, by being curious about a community's unique history with and knowledge about neighborliness, science communicators can help to build up frames necessary for environmental actions, while also helping cultivate broader understandings of the “neighborhood” within which communities' values and world views demand action.”
Images as Information: Context-Rich Images and the Communication of Place-Based Information Through Increased Representation in Environmental Governance
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00043/full
Published in: Frontiers in Communication
Authors: Tracie Curry and Ellen D. S. Lopez
Abstract: “Practitioners widely acknowledge the importance of including local and Indigenous knowledge in environmental research and decision-making. Nevertheless, it remains a challenge to achieve this integration in a meaningful way. The pilot study reported here was a necessary step toward developing improved methods for communicating local and Indigenous knowledge to decision-makers, with a focus on public sector practitioners as audience and visual content as medium. The proposed methodology extends previous research on climate change adaptation in the Alaskan Arctic, and it examines the effect of a reporting approach that introduces two components outside of general conventions in public sector information dissemination; (1) the application of context-rich images to help convey the social and cultural nuances of place-based information, and (2) multiple evidence base (MEB) reporting which engages information from both Western science and local/Indigenous knowledge systems. Context-rich images—defined here as detailed visuals that address the particularities of specific environments and cultures—are explored given their potential merits in expressing place-based concepts, such as social life and lived experience quickly and concisely when presented in tandem with text. With a focus on practical application, public sector conventions for reporting place-based information to decision-makers are investigated, including the benefits, and limitations associated with these conventions. Insights from both theory and practice informed the research methodology, and the design of a sample report and online questionnaire tested with upper-level public sector practitioners who have influence on environmental decision-making. Pilot study results indicated significant benefits of using context-rich images in addition to quotes about lived experience for reporting information about the local context and experience of Northern environmental changes. When presented alongside research from Western science, neither local observations in the form of quotes, nor context-rich images posed negative impacts on the perceived credibility of the report. The pilot study revealed the proposed methodology to be particularly beneficial for a target audience of practitioners who may lack expertise in the local context or field of research being reported. Additionally, several potential improvements to the content and design of research materials were identified for the benefit of future studies.”
Science for All? Practical Recommendations on Reaching Underserved Audiences
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00042/full
Published in: Frontiers in Communication
Authors: Christian Humm and Philipp Schrögel
Abstract: “In a world decisively influenced by scientific developments science communication grows ever more important to enable informed decision making and participation of citizens in society and political discourse. However, science communication, being it public talks, or participatory projects, often reaches only certain parts of society. While this problem is increasingly recognized, only some empirical results and practical recommendations on success-factors for promoting diversity and inclusiveness in science communication exist so far. If at all, many projects and reports focus on very specific areas with only a few aggregated and overarching best practices and guidelines. This article contributes to filling this gap and presents a set of practical recommendations on reaching and engaging underserved audiences of science communication activities. The proposed guidelines have been developed from the experiences and empirical evidence from the research and practice project “Science for All” in Germany, and are based on a review of existing guidelines and recommendations. They are corroborated by interviews with practitioners, scientists, and underrepresented groups. The seven recommendations include listening to underserved audiences, reducing the distance, illustrating the relevance of science for daily life, going where the people are, cooperating with stakeholders, and multipliers, as well as the problem of too much openness, and one-time activities. The guidelines are primarily addressed at practitioners in the field of science communication and meant to encourage and support a first step toward more diverse and inclusive science communication. However, they are limited wherever the roots of exclusion lay at the societal and political level and are open for discussion. While inclusive science communication alone cannot fix discrimination and inequality in society, a continuous self-reflection and improvement of the communication of science organizations, including the improvement of inclusion and diversity within the organization themselves, is an important contribution to a more equitable society.”
Using Data Sonification to Overcome Science Literacy, Numeracy, and Visualization Barriers in Science Communication
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2020.00046/full
Published in: Frontiers in Communication
Authors: Nik Sawe, Chris Chafe and Jeffrey Treviño
Abstract: “Sharing the complex narratives within scientific data in an intuitive fashion has proven difficult, especially for communicators endeavoring to reach a wide audience comprised of individuals with differing levels of scientific knowledge and mathematical ability. We discuss the application of data sonification—the process of translating data into sound, sometimes in a musical context—as a method of overcoming barriers to science communication. Data sonification can convey large datasets with many dimensions in an efficient and engaging way that reduces scientific literacy and numeracy barriers to understanding the underlying scientific data. This method is particularly beneficial for its ability to portray scientific data to those with visual impairments, who are often unable to engage with traditional data visualizations. We explore the applications of data sonification for science communicators and researchers alike, as well as considerations for making sonified data accessible and engaging to broad audiences with diverse levels of expertise.”
