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The Power of Blogging in Scientific Communication and Community Building

In "Adventures in Science Blogging," Janet Stemwedel explores the vital role of blogging in enhancing scientific discourse and community. She emphasizes the importance of real communication, engaging with both scientists and non-scientists to bridge knowledge gaps and foster understanding. Through blogging, we can conduct timely conversations, share insights, and dispel misunderstandings about science. Janet also highlights the potential for creating virtual communities that support ongoing dialogue, making scientific knowledge accessible and relevant to a broader audience.

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The Power of Blogging in Scientific Communication and Community Building

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  1. Adventures in Science Blogging: Conversations we need to have, and how blogging can help us have them. Janet D. Stemwedel dr.freeride@gmail.com

  2. Community and communication as key ingredients for human flourishing

  3. The spinach dip blow-off “What exactly is it you do?” “I study the interaction of … with …, which we hope will give us insight to the mechanism for …” “Oh. Hey, is that spinach dip?”

  4. Real communication: a conversation • What do the other participants know already vs. what do I have to explain? • What do they want to know, and why is it important to them? • What do I want them to understand, and why is it important to me? • What can they help me figure out?

  5. Traditional scientific communication: • Peer reviewed literature (back and forth, long timescale) • Conference presentations (back and forth, ephemeral) • Press releases, popular presentations (not much back and forth)

  6. Science is a process, not just a product! • Knowledge production requires good communication with other scientists. (H.E. Longino, Science as Social Knowledge, 1990) • Helping non-scientists understand what scientists know and how they come to know it is a good thing (and also requires good communication).

  7. Why blogs? • Back and forth on a short timescale (through comments, discussions on other blogs). • Less ephemeral than non-virtual conversations. • Potential to involve people from many backgrounds and many places.

  8. Conversations in the blogosphere that might not be happening otherwise

  9. Educational conversations • Cool new findings • Dispelling common misunderstandings • Sharing of pedagogical strategies

  10. Political conversations • How scientific knowledge bears on political choices • How politics influences conditions for the practice and teaching of science

  11. Conversations about the scientific literature (scholarly and popular) • Scientist-to-scientist “journal club” • Explanation of scholarly papers for non-scientists • Commentary on science items in the news

  12. The virtual scientific meeting (or lab meeting) • Discussion of projects in progress • Commentary on recently presented results

  13. Conversations about the tribe • What is it like to be a scientist in a particular field, work setting, career stage, geographical location, etc.? • Is there anyone else like me? • How could things be different?

  14. What makes blogging a different kind of conversation? • Ability to build a virtual community in the absence of critical mass for a “real” community. • Audience of the willing. • Option to control disclosure of personal details.

  15. What makes blogging a different kind of conversation? • How do I deal with my “real” environment? • Who’ll read this? • Echo chamber vs. pitched battle • Who’s an authority? • What if I get dooced?

  16. A real conversation gives you room to grow. • Learn something new. • Understand someone else’s point of view. • Change your mind.

  17. A real conversation gives you room to grow. • Change how non-scientists understand science. • Change how non-scientists understand scientists. • Change how scientists understand their own tribe. • Expand our sense of community.

  18. Get the ball rolling. • Blog about something you know and are passionate about. • Invite people you trust (from online or the meat-world) to read and comment. • If you’re not ready for your own blog, participate in the conversations on blogs in your area of interest.

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