EASA-450 Scientific Communications
Martha
Davis - Chapter 1, The Semantic Environment of Science
Necessity of Communication
Science
communication:
is clear, complete, and concise
needs no special talent, is just a learned skill
must be done with the audience in mind
requires some tools to be mastered (words, media, personal expression)
is overlain by subjective attitudes and opinions that can change the meaning of intent
Semantic Environment
is the contextual situation for your communication, i.e. the type of room, occasion, type of audience, fluency of people involved
determines how you adapt your communication and message
Purpose
Think about the purpose of the communication event:
get a job, do a class assignment, get
a degree, publish a paper, get some grant funding, complain to the gas
company?
match
the content of your work to the target audience
use standard, conventional means, e.g. IMRAD (Introduction, Methods, Results, Discussion), or even better, IMRADC (with Conclusions)
use simple, clear language (subject, verb, object)
Thinking About the Audience
You must put the audience
first;
you are responsible for making your subject
clear to the intended audience
a good proportion of every audience will not be
experts in your subject
the audience is human, too - with expectations,
prejudices, foibles - and astuteness
present your subject with conviction, sincerity,
purpose and a positive attitude
are you completely convinced by your subject material?
if you were in the audience, what would you like to hear about the subject you are presenting?
you can rarely fool an audience, if you do not believe
what you are saying, neither will they
Learn by Experience
listen to and read carefully the presentations by your superiors and peers - what works, what doesn't?
almost all communication evolves by posing questions and
discussing answers, but the may not be stated
don't be afraid to ask your fellow students to
read what you write - they can be extremely helpful