ASC2018 - 11-15 Nov, Sydney

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Bridging the Gap between Science Communication Theory and Practice

When: Wednesday 14th November, 8:45am – 9:45am
Where: Theatrette, Level 2 behind the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #W2

Internationally, science communication scholars and practitioners have been discussing the need to bridge theory with practice for mutual benefits. This session will bring together leading science communication scholars and practitioners  to discuss with the audience critical questions such as:

  • Who are the theoreticians and practitioners?
  • Are there really barriers between theory and practice, or is this a myth?
  • If there are barriers, how might these be overcome?
  • What examples are there of theory and practice connecting?
  • What are the future opportunities for scholars and practitioners to work together?

Session Chair

Jennifer Metcalfe, Director, Econnect Communication

Presenters

Dr Michelle Riedlinger, Associate Professor, University of Fraser Valley, Canada

Mr Toss Gascoigne, Visiting Fellow, The Australian National University

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Impact and Engagement: What can Australia and the UK Learn from Each Other?

When: Monday 12th November, 11:55am – 12:55pm
Where: L1, Level 2 to the left of the registration/foyer area, down the hallway and through the doors on the right
Hashtag: #M8

The landscape of science communication and public engagement (PE) in the UK has changed dramatically in the last decade; many people now speak of an increasing ‘impact agenda’ in the higher education sector, which has led to many considering science communication and PE as being integral to the research process. The introduction of the Research Excellence Framework (REF), and subsequently the inclusion of Impact Case Studies, has had a significant influence on this by enabling academics to demonstrate both the social and economic impacts of their research. These changing attitudes has seen higher education institutions develop the infrastructure for delivering PE activities, such as professional staff responsible for coordinating and delivering PE, and many UK bodies awarding funding provided impact can be shown. With the introduction the Excellence in Research for Australia and now the Engagement and Impact Assessment will there be a similar shift in attitude towards PE in Australia? This interactive session will compare and contrast the approaches of both countries and harness collective knowledge to make an action plan that science communicators can use to help further integration of PE into academia. Participants are strongly encouraged to share their own experiences and bring along examples of successful case studies.

Session Producers/Workshop Facilitators

Lizzie Crouch, Senior Coordinator of Engagement, SensiLab, Monash University

Djuke Veldhuis, Course Director, Global Challenges, Monash University

Workshop Facilitator

David Robertson, Lecturer, Monash University

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University of Sydney Mathematical Research Institute Launch

When: Monday 12th November, 6:00pm
Where: Sydney University

The University of Sydney will be launching its Mathematical Research Institute at 6pm on Monday 12 November. The institute will be led by world-renowned mathematician Professor Geordie Williamson, who this year became the youngest living fellow of both the Royal Society and the Australian Academy of Science.

It aims to be a high-level mathematical resource for all of Australia and be considered with similar regard as the Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in Bonn and the Institute for Advanced Studies in Princeton.

ASC Conference attendees who would like to report on or blog about this launch – or who are particularly focused on the mathematical sciences – are invited to attend the event.

Please send enquiries about attending to Marcus Strom marcus.strom@sydney.edu.au

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Forget Fake News – Is PR Hype the Big Problem in Science and Could a Media Release Labelling System Help?

When: Wednesday 14th November, 2:40pm – 3:40pm
Where: Theatre, Level 2 down the stairs to the right of the registration/foyer area
Hashtag: #W15

Science and health stories are often criticised for containing conflicting, exaggerated or misleading claims, and while journalists may play a role, a 2014 study showed that exaggeration in news is strongly associated with exaggeration in media releases.

In just the last 12 months there have been a myriad of media releases using the word ‘breakthrough’, or describing the outcome of mouse studies as if they had been done in humans. Is it media teams or scientists themselves who are spinning the research?

In the era of fake news, do those of us communicating science research need to lift our game? A voluntary labelling system for media releases may be part of the answer. Our colleagues at the Science Media Centre in the UK created a simple labelling system to help journalists get their heads around medical research media releases and what they really mean.

The system has already been adopted by several major journal publishers including Cell Press and the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

This session will discuss hype in science media releases, its impacts, origins and what can be done to address it.

Session Producer/Session Chair/Presenter

Lyndal Byford, Director of News and Partnerships, Australian Science Media Centre (AusSMC)

Presenters

Jason Whittaker, Story Editor, Media Watch, ABC TV

Kellia Chiu, PhD candidate, The University of Sydney

Dr Meredith Ross, Marketing & Communications Officer, Garvan Institute of Medical Research

 

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