Career Guide 06 September 2019

Science communication

Most of the time, researchers aim to communicate the results of their work to other researchers. Sometimes, however, they feel the need to get their science across to a larger audience. Here is a collection of articles to help scientists communicate science effectively to the public and policymakers.

Articles

How a spreadsheet helped me to land my dream job

A shared spreadsheet, passed from generation to generation, helps graduate students in management navigate the academic job market. Whatever your field of study, you can make one, too.
- Silvia Sanasi
Career Column28 Mar 2024 Nature
Bullied in science: I quit my job and launched an advocacy non-profit

Ahead of the Academic Parity Movement’s annual conference, co-founder Morteza Mahmoudi describes how it supports whistle-blowers.
- Morteza Mahmoudi
Career Column12 Mar 2024 Nature
This geologist communicates science from the ski slopes

How Karin Kirk finds a balance between twin careers of science writing and skiing instruction.
- Miles Lizak
Career Q&A11 Mar 2024 Nature
How sacked whistle-blower Susanne Täuber’s career fared after she spoke out

Denied promotion, Täuber describes what happened to her after she publicly challenged her university’s gender-equity policy.
- Susanne Täuber
Career Column7 Mar 2024 Nature
Crossing the generational divide: what established scientists and early-career researchers can learn from each other

Astrophysicist and Shaw prizewinner Victoria Kaspi describes how science forums can help researchers of all ages to share ideas and career concerns.
- Kamal Nahas
Career Q&A18 Dec 2023 Nature
How to craft a research project with non-academic collaborators

If you’re working with indigeneous researchers, citizen scientists or local communities, find out about their expectations, including ones around payment and authorship.
- Dom Byrne
Nature Careers Podcast6 Oct 2023 Nature
Engaged in collaborative research? Try a touch of intellectual humility

Being open to the limitations of their knowledge can help researchers to foster interdisciplinary and cross-cultural collaborations.
- Jane Palmer
Career Feature2 Oct 2023 Nature
Pack up the parachute: why global north–south collaborations need to change

Global-south researchers want equal partnerships that value intellectual exchange.
- Virginia Gewin
Career Feature24 Jul 2023 Nature
How to create a lab-group logo that stands out from the crowd

An eye-catching logo says a lot about your lab’s research, workplace culture and collaborative potential. Take time to get it right.
- Andy Tay
Career Feature20 Jul 2023 Nature
Fourteen things you need to know about collaborating with data scientists

Experimentalists often need help to analyse data. Here’s how to ensure your collaboration is productive.
- Michele Tobias
- Nick Ulle
- Tyler Shoemaker
Career Column13 Jul 2023 Nature
How to hatch, brew and craft the perfect maths partnership

Mathematicians and their collaborators discuss the joys and challenges of working together on projects in science and the arts.
- Rachel Crowell
Career Feature26 Jun 2023 Nature
How I mixed microbiome research with public-health advocacy

Evolutionary geneticist Aashish Jha studies the gut microbiome of infants while advocating for better hygiene and health care in their marginalized communities.
- Saugat Bolakhe
Career Q&A15 Jun 2023 Nature
How scientists are using WhatsApp for research and communication

The messaging tool can help to reach collaborators and study participants in areas where Internet connectivity is poor.
- Christine Ro
Career Feature9 May 2023 Nature
How I found a broader impact as a PhD student through podcasting

I’ve learnt new skills and communicated science further afield through my immunology podcast, Inflammatory Content, says Kellen Cavagnero.
- Kellen J. Cavagnero
Career Column18 Apr 2023 Nature
How a lab visit for people with neurological conditions inspired the global Pint of Science festival

Co-founder Praveen Paul describes how she went from neuroscientist to running an annual event across 26 countries.
- Eleanor Lawrence
Career Q&A21 Mar 2023 Nature
How not to chatter like a toddler when giving a scientific presentation

Are we hardwired to overstuff presentations with details? Four simple steps can overcome this tendency, says David Rubenson.
- David Rubenson
Career Column21 Mar 2023 Nature
How to protect research ideas as a junior scientist

Ijeoma Opara learnt some hard lessons after getting scooped in a grant application.
- Ijeoma Opara
Career Column17 Nov 2022 Nature
How vlogging with my students enriched our science

Shooting video clips has fostered collaborations and showcased my students’ strengths in making science accessible.
- Nan Hu
Career Column14 Sep 2022 Nature
Science communication with a French twist

Sarah Gagliano Taliun’s mother tongue is English, science’s lingua franca. Her move to a French-speaking university presented challenges and opportunities.
- Sarah Gagliano Taliun
Career Column20 Jun 2022 Nature
Webcast: How art and design can showcase your science

Three experts explain how to use design principles to better communicate scientific data.
- Jack Leeming
Career News7 Apr 2022 Nature
African scientists engage with the public to tackle local challenges

Science-engagement initiatives in Africa disseminate knowledge and bridge the gap between research and the continent’s people.
- Abdullahi Tsanni
Career Feature15 Feb 2022 Nature
I’m a lip-reading scientist: here’s how I can discuss science with you

Supporting deaf and hard-of-hearing researchers requires thought and planning from colleagues, but science benefits greatly, says Denis Meuthen.
- Denis Meuthen
Career Column28 Jan 2022 Nature
Broaden your scientific audience with video animation

Academic writing can go only so far. Use video and animations in plain language to explain why your research matters, says Alvina Lai.
- Alvina Lai
Career Column7 Jan 2022 Nature
Why I work unpaid to keep the Yemen Geological Museum open

Despite an ongoing civil war and economic crisis, museum manager Fahd Albarraq and his colleagues want Yemenis to continue visiting the museum’s collection.
- Shihab Jamal
Career Q&A26 Jan 2022 Nature
Tips for collaborating with scientists, from a philosopher

Make language inclusive and agree on your aims in advance.
- Michael Paul Nelson
Career Column22 Oct 2021 Nature
Radio days: science-communication tips from a panel-show scientist

Psychologist Ann-Marie Creaven regularly discusses her research on Ireland’s most listened-to station.
- Ann-Marie Creaven
Career Column2 Aug 2021 Nature
How to get media coverage and boost your science’s impact

A good communications strategy can get your research seen by decision makers, says Rebecca Fuoco.
- Rebecca Fuoco
Career Column28 Jul 2021 Nature
Don’t focus on English at the expense of your science

A language barrier can be a challenge, but there are better ways to spend your resources, says Zhanna Anikina.
- Zhanna Anikina
Career Column12 Jul 2021 Nature
Being fluent in a second language can boost your research

Scientists who speak different languages can bring science to a whole new audience — and use it to their advantage, says Jamie Sugrue.
- Jamie Sugrue
Career Column30 Jun 2021 Nature
Good presentation skills benefit careers — and science

Despite many competing demands, there are compelling reasons for researchers to prioritize developing the skills that will improve their presentations.
- David Rubenson
Career Guide12 May 2021 Nature
Collaborations with artists go beyond communicating the science

Scientists and artists are working together as never before, finds a Nature poll. Both sides need to invest time, and embrace surprise and challenge.

Editorial24 Feb 2021 Nature
‘All my art is curiosity-driven’: the garden studio where art and physics collide

Geraldine Cox mixes the palettes of art and physics by illustrating phenomena such as light-interference patterns.
- Amber Dance
Where I Work17 Feb 2021 Nature
How to shape a productive scientist–artist collaboration

Researchers and artists reflect on the partnerships that have created career opportunities and forged a deeper public understanding of science.
- Virginia Gewin
Career Feature17 Feb 2021 Nature
The sound of stars

Composer David Ibbett encodes the dreams and details of complex physics phenomena into music to help audiences appreciate their splendour.
- David Ibbett
Career Column17 Feb 2021 Nature
A mammoth discovery: oldest DNA on record from million-year-old teeth

Researchers sequence the oldest DNA ever recovered, and the people bringing art and science together.
- Benjamin Thompson
- Shamini Bundell
Nature Podcast17 Feb 2021 Nature
How the arts can help you to craft a successful research career

Engaging in a creative pursuit can stimulate creativity and foster boldness and tenacity in the lab and beyond.
- Amber Dance
Career Feature9 Feb 2021 Nature
Why your scientific presentation should not be adapted from a journal article

In trying to be rigorous, scientists frequently pack presentations with content from journal articles. The result can be incomprehensible and a lost opportunity.
- David Rubenson
Career Column20 Nov 2020 Nature
How memorable melodies can make your research sing

Writing songs for open-mic sessions at a Boston bar helped scientist-songwriter Saurja DasGupta to communicate his research more confidently.
- Saurja DasGupta
Career Column9 Nov 2020 Nature
Working Scientist podcast: How to craft and communicate a simple science story

Ditch jargon, keep sentences short, stay topical. Pakinam Amer shares the secrets of good science writing for books and magazines.
- Pakinam Amer
Nature Careers Podcast16 Jul 2020 Nature
How the coronavirus pandemic is changing virtual science communication

Researchers flocked to join Skype a Scientist after COVID-19 closed their labs. The squid biologist who founded it explains how the science-communication platform has adapted.
- Nikki Forrester
Career Q&A9 Jul 2020 Nature
Working Scientist podcast: How to sell your public outreach ideas to funders

Funding agencies and societies love novel approaches to science communication. Here is some expert advice on how to grab their attention.
- Pakinam Amer
Nature Careers Podcast19 Jun 2020 Nature
Working Scientist podcast: How films and festivals can showcase your science

Pakinam Amer explores how science communication translates to film, comedy clubs, and virtual space clubs.
- Pakinam Amer
Nature Careers Podcast11 Jun 2020 Nature
What Hollywood can teach researchers about scientific storytelling

Josh Ettinger says that screenwriting classes and a stint as a TV production intern have boosted his science-communication skills.
- Josh Ettinger
Career Column9 Jun 2020 Nature
How to transition from the lab to full-time science communicator

Friends, family, peers and professors might struggle to understand your motivations for leaving the lab to work in science communication.
- Pakinam Amer
Nature Careers Podcast4 Jun 2020 Nature
Coronavirus conversations: Science communication during a pandemic

How researchers can tackle an “infodemic” of hearsay, speculation and fake news.
- Pakinam Amer
Nature Careers Podcast27 May 2020 Nature
Working Scientist podcast: Science communication made simple

Funders require that researchers clearly explain their science to a general audience. Pakinam Amer discovers the secrets of sound science communication.
- Pakinam Amer
Nature Careers Podcast20 May 2020 Nature
Top tips for getting your science out there

Craig Cormick explains how scientists can get their arguments across to members of the public.
- Craig Cormick
Career Column29 Jan 2020 Nature
Exposing the secret life of whales at the World Economic Forum

Palaeontologist Nick Pyenson highlights the importance of scientific evidence to business and policy leaders.
- Nick Pyenson
Career Column21 Jan 2020 Nature
The ant-bite video that changed my approach to science communication

By making videos about the first steps of his research, Adrian Smith has realized the production value of his science.
- Adrian Smith
Career Column22 Nov 2019 Nature
Feeling stuck? Close your laptop, stop your field measurements and write a poem

Sam Illingworth explains how poetry can help to communicate and celebrate your science.
- Sam Illingworth
Career Column27 Sep 2019 Nature
From academia to freelance curator

A chance visit to the Science Museum in London brought Emily Scott-Dearing into science communication.
- Emily Scott-Dearing
Career Column12 Sep 2019 Nature
Lessons I’ve learnt from creating a science podcast

Making a podcast as a side project involves a steep learning curve, and although it might never beat Serial in the podcast rankings, the process can have myriad other benefits, says Katherine Bassil.
- Katherine Bassil
Career Column4 Jul 2019 Nature

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