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This past fall, Emily Longman, a post-doctoral associate in the ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë Department of Biology, launched a new class aimed at helping student scientists learn how to better communicate their research to people outside the lab. The course, Scientific Filmmaking: Scientific Communication Through Short Films (BIOL6990B), blends discussions and presentations on many aspects of effective communication with individual student filmmaking projects. Intrigued, we asked Longman to share some insights into the often overlooked connection between research and storytelling.

College of Arts and Sciences: Please tell us a little more about the course.

Emily Longman: The goal of this class is to empower graduate students to become more effective science communicators, so we discuss many types of storytelling and narrative strategies as a way to expand their science communication toolbox. We expose them to a variety of science communicators by bringing in guest speakers like science educators, a National Geographic photographer, and ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë science journalist Joshua Brown. Then the latter half of the class is focused on teaching students about basic filmmaking and editing techniques, with the goal of having each student produce a short film about their research. 

(You can view the films .) 

CAS: How did the course come about?

EL: Science communication is big passion of mine, and I feel a lot of graduate programs don't include actual training for people as science communicators. So, while I was a grad student at University of California, Davis, I developed this course with help from one of my professors. I co-taught it there twice and wanted to bring it to ÈÕº«ÎÞÂë as well. 

CAS: Why is storytelling so important when it comes to communicating research?

EL: Storytelling and narrative strategies in general are really effective tools for communicating virtually anything. There has been a lot of research showing that using a narrative structure helps people retain and recall information better—plus, it makes it much more interesting and engaging. Science communication is just like any other form of communication, so using these kinds of techniques can be really helpful.

CAS: Is there a particular challenge when it comes to communicating science research to the general public?

EL: I think so. As a scientist you’re trained to communicate your science, but usually to other scientists. You're trained to make graphs and present your research through talks or in papers, and all of that is supposed to be both objective and somewhat formal. So, a lot of people have a hard time breaking down some of those barriers and explaining science to a wider audience. But by using a narrative structure and adding elements like who you are as a scientist and why you’re doing the work, you can make your research more understandable and compelling and reach a wider audience. 

CAS: Why is it so important that the average person know about what’s happening in scientific research? 

ES: The whole point of science is to improve things in the natural world, in public health, or in different aspects of general life, so it’s essential to turn it back around and make it useful. For example, I'm an ecologist and I study things like climate change, which is happening rapidly and affecting all the ecosystems around us. Being able to show and explain that to a wider audience is super important.

CAS: What do you see as the number one mistake science students make when it comes to communicating their research?

EL: Because scientists want to be objective, they're terrified of putting themselves into their research and it can be hard to get them to talk about themselves. But I've come to realize that the best science communications are those that have a personal element to them, that talk about the scientist’s motivation or their journey through their research. By adding those elements, it’s much more relatable to the public because they can see that a scientist is just like any other person.

CAS: Let's talk a little about video, since that was a specific focus of this class. Why do you feel video is such an effective way to communicate research?

EL: We live in a visual world. We're constantly bombarded with visuals, whether that’s on TV or online or on social media. Science, like everything else, is a visual subject matter. Like many scientists, I get to go to lots of places that many other people can't go to and be a witness to lots of new discoveries. Visuals are a really great way to bring a wider audience into that lab or field setting with you. In many cases, it’s as easy as pulling out your phone and recording what you’re doing and seeing.

CAS: What do you think is the most important thing for someone to keep in mind when they're creating a video with the purpose of communicating about their research?

EL: The biggest thing is to slow down and minimize jargon. Often—and I know this from personal experience—when you get the opportunity to communicate your science, you tend to go on and on. But to be effective, it's better to slow things down and focus on what the key points are. This is especially true with film, where the visuals help tell the story. But no matter what medium you’re using, don’t overload your audience.

CAS: During the filmmaking portion of the class, was there a breakthrough moment for your students that stands out in your mind?

EL: Individually, the students had many moments like that, like when a few of them realized they could use the narrative structure when writing abstracts, and thought, wow, this is a really useful tool beyond just science communication. But the moment that really sticks out for me is when we hosted one of our guest speakers, Gabby Salazar, who's a conservation photojournalist and National Geographic Explorer. We were asking her lots of questions, and she began to break down how she tells a story with photographs. That was right around the same time we’d started talking about story arcs in class, and I sensed the students were really struggling with the concept. But when they saw her break down individual photographs, piecing them together to tell the story, it clicked for them.

CAS: It sounds like creativity is a key part of it.

EL: Yes, I think science communication is a great opportunity for people to be creative! We talk about that a lot in this class, that science and arts are not mutually exclusive but can be complementary. So, I try to not put boundaries on what the students can do because I feel the best films come from each person taking their unique perspective and being their own creative self. For example, in the lab right now, I quite literally have Play-Doh that we use for working with things like mussels. It’s perfect for getting the shells to be nicely balanced for photographs under the microscope, and it’s a great example of fun, creative ways to solve problems. That’s one of the things I love about visuals—they allow people to see how science is really done.

CAS: What would you say is the key characteristic of a good science communicator?

EL: It’s so important to remember that science communication isn't one size fits all. Sure, the goal for the class is to create a film, and so I teach the basic skills to do that. But in my experience, the best science communicators are those who communicate their science in a way they find enjoyable. That could be through some kind of science education if you really like children, doing comics if you’re artistic and funny, or something else. That’s why I bring in a lot of guest speakers who have different perspectives and backgrounds. I'm only one person and I can only talk about my one experience. Having different experts can help open people's eyes to the range of ways in which you can communicate your science.