ASC2018 - 11-15 Nov, Sydney

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September 1, 2018 by asc2018

Little Bang – Bright Sparks: Delivering a national priority through local collaboration

Little Bang Discovery ClubWhen: Wednesday 14th November, 8:45am – 9:45am
Where: L3, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right
Hashtag: #W5

In an era of ‘false news’, a growing mistrust of ‘the expert’ and almost universal access to unfiltered advice from the internet of all things, the need for a science-literate community has never been more important.

The ability to critically assess information starts early and needs to become one of the pillars of education: reading, writing, arithmetic and CRITICAL THINKING.

Science communicators and educators can work smarter to better engage and sustain community understanding of how science works in producing evidence-based knowledge. The resulting democratising of knowledge, and the ability to discern trusted sources, enables better decision making for individuals, and the community as a whole.

This case study involves a series of science engagement initiatives that utilise the exisiting trusted and nationally distributed network of public and school libraries. By working in concert with this ‘third space’ we have a unique opportunity to influence a generation of children, their families and whole community outside the status quo of home, school and the workplace.

The overwhelmingly positive and enthusiastic response from librarians and participating families is evidence of the scalability and sustainability of these low-cost programs, with measurable impact on attitudes and understating of science.

Session

Case studies: Education

Presenter

Adam Selinger, Executive Director, Children’s Discovery Museum Ltd

Filed Under: 60 minutes, Case Study, Change agents, Collaborating with other communicators, Day 4, Novel Topic - suits all levels, On the ground with communities, Poster

September 1, 2018 by asc2018

Scientists, Journalists and Science Communicators: a three-way partnership to build a social heavyweight

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

It is hard to go to a science communication conference without seeing the phrase ‘fake news’ or ‘post-truth’, with many keynotes calling for scientists and science communicators to find a voice to be heard in the echo chambers of social media.

Twelve months ago, the Australian Academy of Science embarked on an ambitious project to do just that: to deliver a social engagement initiative of science communication content that was engaging, informative and—most importantly—increased the quality of verified science content in social media feeds.

Bringing in experience from commercial media to partner with skilled science communicators and backed up by the reputation and expertise of the Academy’s Fellowship, the communications team has evolved into a high-performing media house that produces videos, articles and image content specifically for social media on a broad range of topics and breaking news items.

But how, in the fast-paced environment of breaking news and the constraints of a 60-second video, can we ensure we do not misrepresent complex science and risk damaging the Academy’s reputation for excellence?

In this presentation, I will discuss our rigorous verification processes that ensure that we publish only fact-checked and consensus-view content. I will also touch on how this verification process builds trust both within the science sector and with mainstream media outlets.

https://www.facebook.com/AustralianAcademyofScience/

Session

Case studies: Lessons from the experts

Presenter

Dr Tom Carruthers, Senior Content Producer, Australian Academy of Science and National Director, Pint of Science Australia

Filed Under: 90 minutes, Case Study, Collaborating with other communicators, Day 3, Fake News and Social Bubbles, More about why, Novel Topic - suits all levels, Poster, Presentation, Using knowledge from other areas, Video production

September 1, 2018 by asc2018

The breathtaking circus of photosynthesis: communicating the most important biological process on Earth

When: Wednesday 14th November, 2:40pm – 3:40pm
Where: L2, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right
Hashtag: #W17

Photosynthesis is probably one of the most misunderstood and undervalued of the biological processes by the public. Perhaps this misunderstanding is due to the difficulty to show and engage the public with an imperceptible process that takes place within microscopic structures inside leaves.
This poster will show a group of displays focused on photosynthesis that we have been developing in the past two years, as part of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis. This small exhibition of photosynthesis has been used in public events to engage the public with a topic that, despite its importance in our lives (we will either asphyxiate or die of hunger if it stops), is rarely presented in the form of interactive, visually appealing displays.

Session

Case studies: Visualising science

Presenter

Natalia Bateman, Communications officer, ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis

Filed Under: 60 minutes, Case Study, Day 4, Novel Topic - suits all levels, Poster, Visualising Science

September 1, 2018 by asc2018

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

Filed Under: 21st Century Comms, 90 minutes, Asking good questions, Beginner, Day 3, Intermediate, Knowledge transfer and mobilisation, Media landscape matters, Poster, Scientists becoming science communicators

September 1, 2018 by asc2018

Pint of Science – the evolution of the Australian festival

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

What better way is there to learn about cutting-edge research than over a brew?

Well, it’s nothing new … it’s science in the pub. It’s been done before, and we’d almost be brave enough to guess that almost all the science communicators at the 2018 ASC conference are pub-science veterans. So how is Pint of Science anything more than just another pub event? What makes us different? And why do volunteers, speakers and venues want to get involved?

In this talk, we’ll pull apart what makes Pint of Science unique by looking at the ways the festival engages its audience, speakers, volunteers and sponsors. In doing so, we will outline the recent evolution of the Australian festival and conclude with some forward thinking about how Pint of Science will continue to contribute to the broader Australian science communication landscape.

https://www.pintofscience.com.au

Session

Case studies: Cultural Institutions and Festivals

Presenter

Dr Tom Carruthers, Senior Content Producer, Australian Academy of Science and National Director, Pint of Science Australia

Jirana Boontanjai, National Director, Pint of Science Australia

Filed Under: 120 minutes, Case Study, Collaborating with other communicators, Crossing Borders, Day 3, Novel Topic - suits all levels, On the ground with communities, Poster, Presentation, Scientists becoming science communicators, Using knowledge from other areas, Working with constraints

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Questions? Please contact Kali on asc2018@asc.asn.au.

Acknowledgements

© 2018 Australian Science Communicators

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