AAAS often collaborates with researchers from a number of fields to conduct and disseminate research about science communication and public engagement. See research about Communication Best Practices, Evaluating Public Engagement, and Science in Policymaking below.
Communication Best Practices
- Scientific Institutions Should Support Inclusive Engagement: Reflections on the AAAS Center for Public Engagement Approach (2022) Elana Kimbrell, Gemima Philippe and Mary Catherine Longshore, Frontiers in Communication, 6:787349, doi: doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2021.787349
- Foundational Skills for Science Communication: A Preliminary Framework (2019) Elyse L. Aurbach, Katherine E. Prater, Emily T. Cloyd and Laura Lindenfeld, white paper copublished by the University of Michigan, Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science and American Association for the Advancement of Science, DOIs: dx.doi.org/10.3998/2027.42/150489
- Strategic science communication on environmental issues (2016) Matthew C. Nisbet and Ezra Markowitz, Washington, D.C.: AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology
- Science communication research: bridging theory and practice (2016) Matthew C. Nisbet and Ezra Markowitz, Washington, D.C.: AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology
- Americans' attitudes about science and technology: the social context for public communication (2016) Matthew C. Nisbet and Ezra Markowitz, Washington, D.C.: AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology
- Typology for public engagement with science: a conceptual framework for public engagement involving scientists (2016) Martin Storksdieck, Cathlyn Stylinski and Deborah Bailey, Corvallis, OR: Center for Research on Lifelong STEM Learning
- Public engagement research and major approaches (2015) Matthew C. Nisbet and Ezra Markowitz, Washington, D.C.: AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology
- Public engagement with and communication of science in a web-2.0 media environment (2015) Sara K. Yeo, Washington, D.C.: AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology
Evaluating Public Engagement
AAAS Civic Science Fellowship Project
The AAAS Civic Science Fellowship Project consisted of a landscape review of relationship-building approaches on climate resilience issues and three in-depth case studies of flood resilience/recovery networks in the rural Midwest. As scoping resources, this research informed a formative framework to evaluate future civic science efforts and the design of an initial set of civic science experiments to work toward a consistent vision for culture change at scale. Investigators: Blake McGhghy, Emily Therese Cloyd, Tiffany Lohwater, and Stacey Baker.
- Landscape Report of Relationship-Building for Climate Resilience Collaborations: This report provides snapshots of existing approaches for relationship building, identities thematic challenges for local engagement on climate from the existing literature, and identifies typographies or “streams” of public engagement on climate to provide recommendations to three stakeholder groups: subject-matter experts, funding and institutional partners, and evaluators and researchers of public engagement with science.
- Case Studies of Flood Resilience and Recovery Networks in the Rural Midwest: The case studies analyze relationship-building approaches among community members, community organizations, subject-matter experts, university groups, civic groups, and other collaborators in the context of three flood resilience and recovery networks in small towns in Missouri and Iowa. The cases explore similar engagement activities under the auspices of three different organizations: a university affiliated program, a grassroots community organization, and a civic nonprofit. In addition, the cases provide insights for –public engagement with rural communities on climate resilience and related issues.
Other Projects
- Assessing public engagement outcomes by the use of an outcome expectations scale for scientists (2017) Karen Peterman, Jane Robertson Evia, Emily Cloyd & John C. Besley, Science Communication, Vol. 39, Issue 6, Pages 782-797, DOI: doi.org/10.1177/1075547017738018
- Validating a scale that measures scientists’ self-efficacy for public engagement with science (2017) Jane Robertson Evia, Karen Peterman, Emily Cloyd & John Besley, International Journal of Science Education, Part B, DOI: doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2017.1377852
- Scientists’ prioritization of communication objectives for public engagement (2016) John C. Besley and Anthony Dudo, PLOS ONE, DOI: doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0148867
- Scientists' views about communication training (2015) John C. Besley, Anthony Dudo and Martin Storksdieck, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Vol. 52, No. 2, Pages 199-220, DOI: 10.1002/tea.21186
- What do scientists think about the public and does it matter to their online engagement? (2014) John C. Besley, Science and Public Policy, Vol. 42, No. 2, Pages 201-214, DOI: doi.org/10.1093
Science in Policymaking
Communicating science to Congress
This project examined the factors that affect how scientific information is used in the personal offices of members of Congress. A workshop in Fall 2017 initiated the project and in 2017-2018 the team interviewed and surveyed legislative staff from the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate to map opportunities and barriers in applying scientific information within legislative contexts; the interplay of new knowledge with behavior, past experience, and culture; and the nature of the interaction between scientists and policymakers. Project investigators: Karen Akerlof, George Mason University, Maria Carmen Lemos; University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability; Emily Therese Cloyd, AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology; and Erin Heath, AAAS Office of Government Relations.
- A collaboratively derived international research agenda on legislative science advice (2019) Karen Akerlof et al., Palgrave Communications, DOI: doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0318-6
- Barriers in communicating science for policy in Congress (2018) Karen L. Akerlof, Maria Carmen Lemos, Emily T. Cloyd, Erin Heath, Selena Nelson, Julia Hathaway, and Kristin Timm, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, 2018 Annual Conference, Washington, D.C.
- Who Isn’t Biased? Perceived Bias as a Dimension of Credibility in Communication of Science with Policymakers (2018) Karen L. Akerlof, Maria Carmen Lemos, Emily T. Cloyd and Erin Heath, Iowa State University Summer Symposium on Science Communication, Ames, IA. DOI: doi.org/10.31274/sciencecommunication-181114-18
- Proceedings of the Symposium are available here.
- Proceedings of the Symposium are available here.
- Congress's Use of Science: Considerations for Science Organizations in Promoting the Use of Evidence in Policymaking (2017; Updated 2019) Karen Akerlof, Washington, D.C.: AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology
- Taking Science to Capitol Hill (2017), Karen Akerlof, AAAS News
- Communicating Science to Congress Study Description (2017)
Evidence-based science communications with policymakers
This project examined the communication and use of science within the policymaking arena. The research team integrated existing scholarly literature with new empirical findings from a survey of science communicators, case studies of science-relevant legislating, and qualitative interviews with policymakers. The resulting set of best practices for presenting science to policymakers is available on the American University website. Project investigators include:Elizabeth Suhay, American University; Emily Therese Cloyd, AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology; Erin Heath, AAAS Office of Government Relations; and Erin Nash, University of New South Wales
- Recommended Practices for Science Communication with Policymakers
- Archived Webinar: A Scientific Approach to Social Science Communication (2019) Social Science Space
- Incentives, Opportunities, and Success? AAAS Members’ Experiences Communicating with Policymakers (2018) Elizabeth Suhay, American University and Emily Therese Cloyd, AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology, 2018 AGU Fall Meeting
- Research project will help scientists better communicate with policymakers(2017) Associations Now
- Joint effort gets underway to inform scientists’ policy engagement (2017) AAAS News
- NAS announces awards for building capacity for science communication partnerships (2017) National Academy of Science