On Friday, I attended a panel at the University of Tampere. The panel was part of launching a program about science communication studies.
Research manager Sanna Kivimäki opened the event by comparing science communication with translatorial action. Science communication is intralingual translation, where the communicator’s task is to connect the world of the researcher to the world of the reader.
Professor Johanna Vaattovaara emphasized that science communication is not about popularizing text but about explaining phenomena. New research needs to be communicated in layman’s language because comprehension is needed in political decision-making. Information entombed in formal research reports rarely reaches experts in other scientific fields, let alone decision-makers and ordinary citizens.
In the panel, which included Satu Lipponen, Heidi Jaun, and Natasha Vilokkinen, we discussed our triumphs and our setbacks in the work of popularization. Our common view was that popularization requires several rounds of processing. The final work benefits from collegial feedback and from discussions of texts and meanings. One discussion arena is Twitter, which forces you to use plain and concise language regardless of subject.
In recent days, columns in the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper have dealt with the use of social media by researchers. Professor Pekka Isotalus added his support, saying that social media today is an essential part of the scientific researcher’s job.