Science communication is an academic discipline with three main journals, Public Understanding of Science, Science Communication and the Journal of Science Communication. Below is a partial list of other resources, grouped by websites, articles and reports, and books.
Visit our Communication Toolkit for resources on in-person engagement, communicating science online, working with journalists, using visuals and more.
Public Engagement Research
Visit our Public Engagement Research page to learn about science communication and public engagement research that AAAS is doing in collaboration with researchers.
Websites
Science News and Commentary
- EurekAlert! — Science news service operated by AAAS
- Science News — Daily news from the journal Science
AAAS Science Communication & Public Engagement Training
- Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering Workshop
- Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellows Program
- Science &Technology Policy Fellows Program
- SciLine Media Training
Other Resources
Articles and Reports
2022
Strategic Science Communication: A Guide to Setting the Right Objectives for More Effective Public Engagement (2022) John C. Besley and Anthony Dudo, Johns Hopkins University Press
2021
Personal experiences bridge moral and political divides better than facts (2021) Emily Kubin, Curtis Puryear, Chelsea Schein, and Kurt Gray, PNAS, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2008389118
Survey: Americans Agree that Prioritizing Research is Essential for Pandemic Recovery (2021) Research!America
What we know about effective public engagement on CRISPR and beyond (2021) Dietram A. Scheufele, Nicole M. Krause, Isabelle Freiling, and Dominique Brossard, PNAS, DOI:
2020
Bridging Science with Society: Defining Pathways for Engagement (2020) Brenda L. MacArthur, Laura A. Lindenfeld, Elyse L. Aurbach, Bronwyn Bevan and Todd P. Newman, Communication Center Journal, Vol. 6, No. 1
Science Communication Training in North America: Preparing Whom to Do What With What Effect? (2020) Anthony Dudo, John C. Besley, Shupei Yuan, Science Communication, https://doi.org/10.1177/1075547020960138
Contribution of Training to Scientists’ Public Engagement Intentions: A Test of Indirect Relationships Using Parallel Multiple Mediation (2020) Jacob Copple, Nichole Bennett, Anthony Dudo, Won-Ki Moon, Todd P. Newman, John Besley, Nicole Leavey, Laura Lindenfeld, Chris Volpe, Science Communication, https://doi.org/10.1177/1075547020943594
Organizing community events: Guidebook to virtual events (2020) Center for Scientific Collaboration and Community Engagement
The State of Inclusive Science Communication: A Landscape Study (2020) Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE)
The misuse of colour in science communication (2020) F. Crameri,G. E. Shephard, & P.J. Heron, Nature, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-19160-7
Caption This! Best Practices for Live Captioning Presentations (2020) Michele Cooke, Celia R. Child, Elizabeth C. Sibert, Christoph von Hagke, and S. G. Zihms, Eos, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2020EO150246
The Public Face of Science in America: Priorities for the Future (2020) American Academy of Arts and Sciences
2019
Science–graphic art partnerships to increase research impact (2019) Colin K. Khoury, Yael Kisel, Michael Kantar, Ellie Barber, Vincent Ricciardi, Carni Klirs, Leah Kucera, Zia Mehrabi, Nathanael Johnson, Simone Klabin, Álvaro Valiño, Kelsey Nowakowski, Ignasi Bartomeus, Navin Ramankutty, Allison Miller, Meagan Schipanski, Michael A. Gore & Ari Novy, Communications Biology, Article number: 295 (2019), DOI: doi.org/10.5061/dryad.7j5d5t0
Wellcome global monitor 2018 (2019) Wellcome Trust
The science of science communication III (2019) Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia, National Academy of Sciences
Encountering science in America (2019) American Academry of Arts & Sciences
2018
Understanding scientists’ willingness to engage (2018) John C. Besley, Anthony Dudo, Shupei Yuan and Frank Lawrence, Science Communication, DOI: 10.1177/1075547018786561
The long-lasting effects of newspaper op-eds on public opinion (2018) Alexander Coppock, Emily Ekins and David Kirby, Quarterly Journal of Political Science: Vol. 13, Issue 1, Pages 59-87, DOI:10.1561/100.00016112
Reimagining publics and (non) participation: Exploring exclusion from science communication through the experiences of low-income, minority ethnic groups (2018) Emily Dawson, Public Understanding of Science, DOI: 10.1177/0963662517750072
The science of science communication III (2018) Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia, National Academy of Sciences
JMBE themed issue on science communication (2018) Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, Vol. 19, Issue 1
Science and engineering indicators 2018: Chapter 7. Science and technology: public attitudes and understanding (2018) National Science Board
Perceptions of science in America (2018) American Academry of Arts & Sciences
A common standard for the evaluation of public engagement with research (2018) Mark S. Reed, Sophie Duncan, Paul Manners, Diana Pound, Lucy Armitage, Lynn Frewer, Charlotte Thorley, Bryony Frost, Research for All, DOI: 10.18546/RFA.02.1.13
Unveiling Impact Identities: A Path for Connecting Science and Society (2018) Julie Risien and Martin Storksdieck, Integrative and Comparative Biology, DOI: 10.1093/icb/icy011
2017
Public Engagement with Science: A Guide to Creating Conversations Among Publics and Scientists for Mutual Learning and Societal Decision-Making (2017) Museum of Science
How to evaluate public engagement projects and programmes (2017) National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement
Communicating Science Effectively: A Research Agenda (2017) National Academy of Sciences
Scientists’ views about communication objectives (2017) John C. Besley, Anthony Dudo and Shupei Yuan, Public Understanding of Science, DOI: 10.1177/0963662517728478
Two-way communication between scientists and the public: a view from science communication trainers in North America (2017) Shupei Yuan, Tsuyoshi Oshita, Niveen AbiGhannam, Anthony Dudo, John C. Besley & Hyeseung E. Koh, International Journal of Science Education, Part B, Vol. 7, Issue 4, Pages 341-355, DOI: 10.1080/21548455.2017.1350789
How Americans get science news and information (2017) Cary Funk, Jeffrey Gottfried and Amy Mitchell, Pew
Science curiosity and political information processing (2017) Kahan, D. M., Landrum, A., Carpenter, K., Helft, L. and Hall Jamieson, K. , Political Psychology, Vol. 38, Pages 179–199, DOI:10.1111/pops.12396
Environmental science in a post-truth world (2017) Jane Lubchenco, Frontiers in Ecology, Vol. 15, No. 1, Page 3, DOI: 10.1002/fee.1454
Does engagement in advocacy hurt the credibility of scientists? Results from a randomized national survey experiment (2017) John E. Kotcher, Teresa A. Myers, Emily K. Vraga, Neil Stenhouse & Edward W. Maibach, Environmental Communication, Vol. 11, No. 3, DOI: doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2016.1275736
2016
Qualitative interviews with science communication trainers about communication objectives and goals (2016) John C. Besley, Anthony D. Dudo, Shupei Yuan and Niveen Abi Ghannam, Science Communication, Vol. 38, No. 3, Pages 356-381, DOI: doi.org/10.1177/1075547016645640
Science and engineering indicators 2016: Chapter 7. Science and technology: Public attitudes and understanding (2016) National Science Board
2015
Public and scientists views on science and society (2015) Cary Funk and Lee Rainie, Pew
Toward engagement in climate training: findings from interviews with agricultural extension professionals (2015) David C. Diehl, Sebastian Galindo-Gonzalez, Daniel R. Dourte, Nicole L, Sloan, Wendy-Lin Bartels, Carrie Furman and Clyde W. Fraisse, Journal of Rural Social Sciences, Vol. 30, No. 1, Pages 25-50
2014
Finding your place on the science – advocacy continuum: an editorial essay (2014) Simon D. Donner, Climate Change, Volume 124, No. 1–2, Pages 1–8
Publics and their participation in science and technology (2014) Edna F. Einsiedel, Routledge Handbook of Public Communication of Science and Technology, Ch. 10, DOI: 10.4324/9780203483794.ch10
The future of science governance: publics, policies, practices (2014) P. Macnaghten and J. Chilvers, Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, Vol. 32, No. 3, Pages 530-548, DOI: doi.org/10.1068/c1245j
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/scipol/scu042
2013
The science of science communication II (2013) Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia, National Academy of Sciences
2012
Why people attend science festivals: Interests, motivations and self-reported benefits of public engagement with research (2012) Eric Jensen and Nicola Buckley, Vol. 23, No. 5, DOI: doi.org/10.1177/0963662512458624
Capably sommunicating science (2012) Alan I. Leshner, Science, Vol. 337, No. 6096, Page 777, DOI: 10.1126/science.1227898
The polarizing impact of science literacy and numeracy on perceived climate change risks (2012) Dan M. Kahan, Ellen Peters, Maggie Wittlin, Paul Slovic, Lisa Larrimore Ouellette, Donald Braman and Gregory Madel, Nature Climate Change, Vol. 2, Pages 732–735, DOI:10.1038/nclimate1547
The science of science communication (2012) Arthur M. Sackler Colloquia, National Academy of Sciences
Public participation in scientific research: a framework for deliberate design (2012) J. L Shirk, H. L. Ballard, C. C. Wilderman, T. Phillips, A. Wiggins, R. Jordan, E. McCallie, M. Minarchek, B. V. Lewenstein, M. E. Krasny and R. Bonney, Ecology and Society, Vol 17, Issue 2, Page 29, DOI: dx.doi.org/10.5751/ES-04705-170229
Synthetic biology in the science café: what have we learned about public engagement? (2012) Erin L. Navid and Edna F. Einsiedel, Journal of Science Communication
How Academic Biologists and Physicists View Science Outreach (2012) Elaine Howard Ecklund, Sarah A. James and Anne E. Lincoln, PLoS ONR, Vol. 7, No. 5, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0036240
2011
Communicating the science of climate change (2011) Richard C. J. Somerville and Susan Joy Hassol, Physics Today, Vol. 64, No. 10, Pages 48-53, DOI: doi.org/10.1063/PT.3.1296
Applying the science of communication to the communication of science (2011) Baruch Fischhoff, Climatic Change, Vol. 108, No.4, Pages 701—705, DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s10584-011-0183-9
The broad challenge of public engagement in science (2011) Rinie van Est, Science and Engineering Ethics, Volume 17, Page 639, DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s11948-011-9296-9
We need to reward those who nurture a diversity of ideas in science (2011) Alan I. Leshner, The Chronicle of Higher Education
2010
Tweeting science and ethics: social media as a tool for constructive public engagement (2010) Alan C. Regenberg, American Journal of Bioethics, Vol. 10, No. 5, Pages 30-31, DOI: doi.org/10.1080/15265161003743497
Bridging science and society (2010) Peter Agre and Alan I. Leshner, Science, Vol. 327, No. 5968, Page 921, DOI: 10.1126/science.1188231
2009
Public praises science; scientists fault public, media (2009) Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Scientist citizens (2009) Christopher Reddy, Science, Vol. 323, No. 5929, Page 1405, DOI: 10.1126/science.1173003
Many experts, many audiences: public engagement with science and informal science education: A CAISE inquiry group report (2009) E. McCallie, L. Bell, T. Lohwater, J.H. Falk, J.L. Lehr, B.V. Lewenstein, C. Needham and B. Wiehe, Washington, D.C.: Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE)
2008
Interactions with the mass media (2008) Hans Peter Peters, Dominique Brossard, Suzanne de Cheveigné, Sharon Dunwoody, Monika Kallfass, Steve Miller and Shoji Tsuchida, Science, Vol. 32, No. 5866, Pages 204-205, DOI: 10.1126/science.1157780
Engaging the scientific community with the public (2008) Rick Borchelt and Kathy Hudson, Science Progress
Improving how scientists communicate about climate change — Susan Joy Hassol, Eos, Vol. 89, No. 11, Pages 106-107
Evolution and its discontents: A role for scientists in science education (2008) American Association of Physics Teachers, American Astronomical Society, American Chemical Society, American Institute of Biological Sciences, American Institute of Physics, American Physical Society, American Physiological Society, American Society for Investigative Pathology, American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, American Society of Human Genetics, Biophysical Society, Consortium of Social Science Associations, Geological Society of America, Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, National Academy of Sciences, National Science Teachers Association and Society for Developmental Biology, The FASEB Journal, Vol. 22, No. 1, Pages 1-4, DOI: 10.1096/fj.08-0101ufm
2007
The quality of public dialogue (2007) Kathy Sykes, Science, Vol. 318, No. 5855, Page 1349, DOI: 10.1126/science.1151332
Beyond the teachable moment (2007) Alan I. Leshner, JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 298, No. 11, Pages 1326-1328, DOI:
Framing science (2007) Matthew Nisbet and Chris Mooney, Science, Vol. 316., No. 5821, Page 56, DOI: 10.1126/science.1142030
Outreach training needed (2007) Alan I. Leshner, Science, Vol. 315, No. 5809, Page 161, DOI: 10.1126/science.1138712
2005
Social values and the governance of science (2005) George Gaskell, Edna Einsiedel, William Hallman, Susanna Hornig Priest, Jonathan Jackson and Johannus Olsthoorn, Science, Vol. 310, No. 5756, Pages 1908-1909, DOI: 10.1126/science.1119444
2003
Winning greater influence for science (2003) Daniel Yankelovich, Issues in Science and Technology, Vol. XIX, No. 4, Pages 7-11, DOI: 10.1126/science.1119444
Books and Guides
- A Field Guide for Science Writers, 2nd Edition — Deborah Blum, Mary Knudson, and Robin Marantz Henig, ed., National Association of Science Writers
- Am I Making Myself Clear?: A Scientist's Guide to Talking with the Public — Cornellia Dean
- A Scientist's Guide to Talking with the Media — Richard Hayes and Daniel Grossman, Union of Concerned Scientists
- Communicating Science: Giving Talks — Burroughs Wellcome Fund
- Communicating Science News: A Guide for Public Information Officers, Scientists and Physicians — National Association of Science Writers
- Communicating Uncertainty: Media Coverage of New and Controversial Science — Sharon M. Friedman, Sharon Dunwoody, and Carol L. Rogers, ed.
- Communications Handbook for IPCC scientists — Adam Corner, Chris Shaw and Jamie Clarke, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
- Don't Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style — Randy Olson
- Engaging Science: Thoughts, deeds, analysis and action — Jon Turney, ed., The Wellcome Trust (UK)
- Escape from the Ivory Tower: A Guide to Making Your Science Matter — Nancy Baron
- Explaining Research: How to Reach Key Audiences to Advance Your Work — Dennis Meredith
- Informal Education Practicum for Scientists — Steven Ackerman, Sharon Dunwoody, Ronald Yaros, and Mohammad Douglah, University of Wisconsin, Madison
- Marketing for Scientists: How to Shine in Tough Times — Marc J. Kuchner
- Multimedia SciComm Resource Guide — Ecological Society of America
- Public Engagement with Science Guide — Larry Bell, Caroline Lowenthal, David Sittenfeld, Katie Todd, Sarah Pfeifle and Elizabeth Kunz Kollmann
- Scientists in Civic Life: Facilitating Dialogue-Based Communication — Matthew Nisbet, Northeastern University, for AAAS Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion and AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology.
- Sharing Science: Communication, Education and Outreach — Museum of Science, Boston
- Successful Science Communication: Telling It Like It Is — David J. Bennett and Richard C. Jennings, ed.
- Taking Science to the People: A Communication Primer for Scientists and Engineers — Carolyn Johnsen, ed.
- Visual Strategies: A Practical Guide to Graphics for Scientists and Engineers — Felice C. Frankel and Angela H. DePace
- Working with Congress: A Scientist's Guide to Policy — William G. Wells, Jr. American Association of the Advancement of Science
- Working With Public Information Officers: A Supplement to Explaining Research — Dennis Meredith