New Book on Science of Communicating Science Published

Dr. Craig Cormick, Australia's leading science communicator has published his new book, The Science of Communicating Science, together with Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI) and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). The book aims to help solve a major problem that many scientists face at some point in their career: how do I communicate my work to society? The Science of Communicating Science is a rare book that combines academic rigor with the ease of reading a blog. It's a solid one-stop-shop where scientists can learn about the main aspects of science communication without "having to read several hundred academic papers and blogs and books." The book also helps to solve an unusual problem surrounding science communication: the disconnect between scientists and the information available on science communication.

The book has a comprehensive but digestible road map for science communications. Part 1: The ground rules lays facts and truths that are essential to understand before wading into setting up Facebook accounts or drafting press releases. It covers the importance of observing and understanding one's audience. Part 2: Communication tools is the book's main section and includes practical advice about specific communication tools. Part 3: When things get hard is one of the most interesting parts of the book, since it tackles exactly those times that scientists dread the most: what to do when things get hard. Part 4: Science communication issues is the final section of the book and includes some thought provoking issues, including ethics.

The book also contains interesting and relevant case studies, with each chapter ending with a section entitled ‘What to do with what you now know', which offers practical steps for taking action, as well as ‘Key summary points' to capture the highlights of each chapter. There are also excellent endnotes for further reading, with charts, illustrations and tables to enhance the book's messages.

For more details, read the ISAAA Blog article. To get a copy of the book, visit the CABI Bookshop.