ASC2020 - 16-19 Feb, Melbourne

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A small mouse study? Or, the most important discovery for pregnant women since folate?

When: Tuesday 13th November, 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Where: Theatrette, Level 2 behind the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T9

(Work in progress/preliminary findings)

Introduction: News media reporting of scientific research is often derived from press releases rather than from journal articles. Press releases are quicker and easier to understand than the increasingly complex language used in scientific journal articles. Additionally, press releases are more easily accessible than scientific articles which can initially be under embargo and once published, often only accessible via subscription or payment to the journal publisher. Since it is known that news media coverage of scientific research is often based on press releases rather than on journal articles, it is important to investigate and understand how the translation process occurs from the journal article to the press release to the news media reporting. We chose to investigate this specific case study because it received controversial news media coverage and we sort to understand the translation process that led to this contention.

Methods: An in-depth qualitative text analysis was undertaken to compare a journal article (published in the New England Journal of Medicine), the corresponding press releases and all of the subsequent online news media reporting. The journal article, the two press releases and the 60 online news media articles (sourced from Google news) were imported into NVivo version 12. Each document was read multiple times to identify common themes for text analysis. An inductive approach was used to code each of the themes in the documents. The themes were labelled, and quotes were selected to represent each theme.

Preliminary results:

  • Many news media articles copied sections of the press release word-for-word.
  • Many news media articles did not clearly explain the study published in NEJM.
  • Few news media articles sourced independent commentary of the research outside of the quotes published in the press release.
  • Some news media articles omitted the role of mice in the study.
  • Some news media articles made potentially harmful clinical recommendations about vitamin supplementation for pregnant women which were not supported by the NEJM article.
  • The misrepresentation of the study in the news media had an international reach.

Conclusion: As news media reporting of scientific research has the potential to impact human behaviour (in ways that can be both beneficial and harmful), it is important that news media coverage of scientific research is clear, balanced and accurate. Whilst it is not possible to determine if the misrepresentation of the NEJM article in the news media reporting was a direct result of the press release, we can hypothesise that in line with other research in this field, a more objective and representative press release may have resulted in more balanced news media reporting.

Session

Case studies: Lessons from the experts

Presenter

Georgia Dempster, PhD Candidate & Senior Ethics Advisor, The University of Melbourne

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Engaging Regional Communities with Science – the Power of the People

When: Monday 12th November, 11:55am – 12:55pm
Where: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #M7

How can we bring science to where people go? Find out how Inspiring Australia fosters lasting collaborations with regional communities to take science to new audiences. Learn how to grow science engagement activity and infrastructure through working with established networks. Discover what works and what doesn’t, the importance of working in partnership with local communities and understanding stakeholder needs.

Science engagement from the ground up – the NSW experience
Building STEM capacity in a rapidly evolving, global innovation system requires national effort on many levels – particularly at the grass roots. Inspiring Australia’s NSW Regional Science Hub network offers a low-cost response to this challenge. With modest funding support that is matched by partner investment, Science Hubs involve hundreds of organisations that come together at a local level to share skills and explore scientific issues. This capacity building approach helps increase scientific literacy through the delivery of creative and engaging public programs led by local communities. Discover how Science Hubs take the lead to create, collaborate and connect scientists with a diverse public, through festivals, events and programs that provide rich and memorable experiences for people of all ages. 

Finding our way through discovery and creativity – the SA experience
Inspiring South Australia has experimented with a number of regional engagement strategies and has found a few to be especially effective in engaging communities with science. Its regional Science and Arts Working Together program is designed to tell the stories of science through the arts, bringing together science and arts organisations, groups and practitioners to create fascinating projects that feature local stories and discoveries while engaging the community in the development and in the telling. Another effective regional program is a partnership between Libraries SA, the Children’s Discovery Museum and Inspiring SA that equips librarians to deliver science programs to 3-5 year olds. Covering a range of concepts, Little Bang Discovery Club empowers both children and their accompanying adults as co-learners and collaborators in the investigative process.

Session Producer, Session Chair, Presenter

Jackie Randles, Manager Inspiring Australia NSW, Inspiring Australia

Presenter

Sheryn Pitman, Programme Manager Inspiring South Australia, South Australian Museum

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Captivating Presentations

When: Thursday 15th November, 12:00pm – 4:45pm (including lunch)
Where: Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris St, Ultimo
Room: L1, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right

Purchase separately or free for conference+workshop delegates (RSVP during registration).

Register now!

We’ve all seen presenters that just knock ‘em dead. Even on quite boring subjects the audience just seem to be in the palm of their hand. This workshop gives you the tools to wow the crowd and leave a lasting positive impression.

Working through practical exercises you will learn to create captivating visuals and avoid death by PowerPoint. You’ll learn to develop stage presence, add drama to your story and use your voice and body to connect with the audience.

At the end of this session you will have created a mini-talk on your own research/material – bring a paper or some background material that you want to tell the world about.

We’ll cover:
– Developing a clear message and delivering it in a way that sticks.
– Tips and tricks for making classy PowerPoint presentations.
– Warm ups and techniques to relax your body and conquer nerves
– Unlocking the power of your voice.
– Timing pitfalls to avoid at all cost.
– Connecting with your audience and keeping them on side.
– Adding that little extra magic

Workshop Facilitator

Dr Phil Dooley, Galactic Commander, Phil Up On Science and ASC National co-vice-president

Purchase separately or free for conference+workshop delegates (RSVP during registration).

Register now!

**This is a public event. Register to save your seat!**

Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1049576325220833/

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The Rescue Project Podcast – Stories of Kind Acts of Environmental Rescue

When: Wednesday 14th November, 10:20am – 11:20am
Where: Theatrette, Level 2 behind the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #W6

**Have you ever rescued a riverbank? A tract of bush, an eroded beach, a waterway, some farmland, a garden or a native tree? A native animal or bird? What do you feel as you tend to tired earth, or engage with the intrinsic value of an old-growth giant, or as you look into that creature’s eyes? And, in some way, do these things rescue you?**

The Rescue Project is citizen storytelling in online and podcast form.
Launched in early October it is a public invitation to contribute a 500-word story to the Rescue website – a collaboration between Landcare Australia and Gretchen Miller/UNSW. The stories are currently growing there with opportunity for anyone to read and respond.
The next stage will be The Rescue Project Podcast, beginning production in early 2019 – 10 of the stories read aloud by the writers and set to sound. The podcast series will also include an audio documentary focusing on one special habitat rehabilitation site selected from the uploaded stories.
“Rescue” is an organic, living website, changing by the day and inviting its contributors to feel a part of something bigger. It functions as an online clubhouse for discussion of the personal power of taking action to benefit habitat, animals and the humans who get involved. The intention is to reflect the rich experience, both practical and psychological, that engaging with environment brings, building a deeper recognition of how little things can grow bigger ones.
https://landcareaustralia.org.au/rescue

Session

Case studies: Environment and community engagement

Presenter

Gretchen Miller, Rescue Project Director/Producer, Media Consultant, Gretchen Miller Media

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Including Scientists in SciComm

When: Tuesday 13th November, 9:15am – 11:15am
Where: Theatrette, Level 2 behind the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T3

This session will explore the range of different ways Questacon engages and collaborates with scientists and STEM professionals. It will highlight how this collaboration can create richer and more genuine engagement opportunities for students and the general public, connecting them to relevant STEM ideas and challenges. It will also show how this collaboration can create a learning experience for the involved scientist/STEM professional.
Examples include:

  • Questacon’s Regional Invention Conventions using STEM professionals to pose design and innovation challenges to students, giving them a problem to solve with real world connection
  • Boutique Botanical Teacher PD, developed alongside the 2017 ACT Scientist of the Year to bring plant science into the classroom.
  • Mind in Residence program, using local academics to develop new content within Questacon in the form of shows and demonstrations, helping bring cutting edge science to the public
  • Enterprising Australians web portal, using STEM professionals to tell stories of innovation, becoming inspiration for the next generation of innovators

Session

Case studies: Cultural Institutions and Festivals

Presenters

Broderick Matthews, A/g National Programs Manager, Questacon

Amelia Coman, Special Activities and External Liaison Officer, Questacon

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Communicating Climate Change and other Complex and Contested Content

When: Tuesday 13th November, 4:00pm – 5:30pm
Where: Theatrette, Level 2 behind the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T13

Join climate change communicators to discuss the latest approaches to communicating controversial research. The panel will draw from perspectives and case studies from university centres of excellence, government research organisations, communication consultancies, and non-profit organisations. You’ll obtain specific suggestions on the use of infographics, video and other innovative communication approaches, ideas about campaign timing, and guidance on drawing from a robust foundation of science to effectively communicate in complex and contested domains.

MC

Simon Torok, Director, Scientell

Panel

Paul Holper, Director, Scientell

Karen Pearce, Director, Bloom communication, and communicator for the National Environmental Science Program’s Earth Systems and Climate Change Hub

Martin Rice, Acting CEO and the Head of Research, Climate Council

Alvin Stone, Media and Communication Manager, ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes

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Taking your presentation skills to the next level

When: Tuesday 13th November, 11:45am – 12:45pm
Where: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T6

The key to the art of presentation is knowing it’s a dictatorship, and you are in control.

Dr Karl will take you on a fun guided tour through how to deliver a Powerpoint/Keynote presentation. There will be tips and tools to help you engage your audience, from simple microphone technique to how to blend content and segues to generate humour.

Learn the skills to take your audience on a science journey to remember from one of the country’s most experienced presenters.

Session Producer/Chair

Dr Phil Dooley, ASC National Co-Vice-President, Phil Up On Science

Workshop Facilitator/Presenter/Performer

Dr Karl Kruszelnicki, Julius Sumner Miller Fellow for Sci Comm, University of Sydney

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Anyone can visually communicate science

When: Thursday 15th November, 8:00am – 12:45pm (including lunch)
Where: Powerhouse Museum, 500 Harris St, Ultimo
Room: L2, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right

Purchase separately or free for conference+workshop delegates (RSVP during registration).

Register now!

Visuals grab attention and can have great explanatory power. As a result they’ve long been coveted in science communication circles. Yet many practitioners still feel they lack the skills to make them.

Well, forget all that negative self talk. The premise of this workshop is in the title: “Anyone can visually communicate science”. And it goes about equipping you to do so through a series of brief lectures, discussions and practical exercises.

Building on everyday skills you already possess (like writing, taking photos, sending text messages and using presentation software), this hands-on workshop will help you make visuals that should prove immediately useful in your internal and external communication activities.

Bring along pen, paper, laptop and ideally some idea/concept/research you wish to communicate visually.

Learn how to:
⁃ analyse visuals you like and use them to guide you in creating your own,
⁃ generate and iterate visual ideas,
⁃ create simple illustrations, visual abstracts and infographics,
⁃ improve the quality of your visual products,
⁃ and commission visuals (because even having learnt the basics you may still need to delegate).

PLEASE NOTE: Science visualisation is a related but different area of endeavour. If that is your focus, much of the content might still be relevant but the workshop will not be covering computer simulation or 3d computer graphics.

Workshop facilitator

James Hutson, Explanation designer, Explanovision

Purchase separately or free for conference+workshop delegates (RSVP during registration).

Register now!

**This is a public event. Register to save your seat!**

Share on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/694141270960487/

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Spinning World: art science collaboration talk and tour

When: Tuesday 13th November, 7:00pm – 7:30pm
Where: Turbine Hall, Level 1 next to the Experimentations exhibit
Hashtag: #T18

Genuine interdisciplinary collaboration between practitioners in arts and sciences can be a complex process. Here we present a case study of the challenges and outcomes of arts-science collaborations as part of the Material Science, Slow Textiles & Ecological Futures (MSSTEF) project.

MSSTEF was initiated by artists-researchers, Agnieszka Golda and Jo Law. The project was inspired from their Visiting Research Fellowships at the Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences, Sydney (MAAS) in 2017, where they looked to traditional slow textile techniques in the Museum’s Asian and Japanese collection in order to locate new ways to embed conductive materials into fabric to create immersive and multi-sensory artworks.

Golda and Law invited materials scientist Sepdiar Sayyar (ANFF, UOW) and climate scientist Helen McGregor (ARC Principal Future Fellow, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, UOW) to investigate the use of innovative materials in contemporary art to convey climate science research. For Sayyar, the expectation was to find new and ecologically sound ways to create conductive materials, namely graphene, for art production. McGregor looked to this project to investigate art as a platform for science communication.

The combined use of slow textiles techniques, electronics and graphene presented a set of parameters. The tradeoffs between more environmentally sustainable solvents and optimisation of the conductive properties of graphene led Sayyar to consider his research practice in a different way. There was also negotiation between the artists and the climate scientist in balancing the need for scientific accuracy with making the science accessible and allowing for artistic creativity. This presentation will discuss problems encountered such as these and ways in which these difficulties were resolved. The presentation will look to the project outcome: the exhibition Spinning World at the MAAS, to conjecture how practice-based research in both arts and sciences can build a strong base for collaborative research.

Materials Science, Slow textiles and Ecological Futures

Images of the exhibition at MAAS

Presenter

Dr Jo Law, Senior Lecturer, University of Wollongong

Dr Agnieszka Golda, Senior Lecturer, University of Wollongong

 

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The Art and Science of Collaboration – Three Case Studies on Finding Innovative Partnerships for Science Communication

When: Tuesday 13th November, 9:15am – 11:15am
Where: Theatrette, Level 2 behind the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #T3

You have a message and you know who you want to reach, but you have little to no budget or resources. Partnerships are often the best way to maximise your science communication efforts, but how do I make it happen?

From the world’s largest museum to the smallest of conservation non-profits, organizations big and small face this very same problem. Micaela Jemison will present three case studies from her time at the Smithsonian Institution and Bat Conservation International (USA) to shed light on the process of finding the right partners and the potential benefits and pitfalls of these collaborations.

The case studies span a range of corporate, government/non-profit and media partners, as well as individual collaborators you may not expect. The result is an annual North American bat conservation campaign reaching more than 24 million people, integration of conservation science messages into one of the world’s most popular online games for kids, and a virtual reality experience bringing a “Batnado” to the rest of the world.

Session

Case studies: Cultural Institutions and Festivals

Presenter

Micaela Jemison, Science Communicator, Smithsonian Institution

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Questions? Please contact Kali on asc2020@asc.asn.au.

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