Strategic Communication for Social Scientists

As the interconnectedness of people and the environment becomes better recognized, there is a growing need and opportunity for social scientists to engage with others about their work. Translating social science findings into clear, concise, and compelling messages without losing the depth of their explanatory power can feel challenging. But like any skill, through training, practice, and feedback, we can all become more strategic and effective social science communicators. Grounded in science communication research and practice, this interactive virtual workshop will help you gain tools and skills to strategically communicate your work to diverse audiences.

Over the course of three hours, COMPASS trainers guide you through techniques and tools that help you prepare for strategic communication, then support you as you apply what you’ve learned through facilitated group discussions and activities, including practice sessions with other participants in breakout rooms. By the end of the workshop, you will: 

• Gain a stronger understanding of the science behind science communication

• Learn how to use the Message Box, COMPASS’s signature tool for breaking down complex topics into digestible, effective messages 
• Draft a COMPASS Message Box of your own, on a topic of your choosing
• Feedback on your draft messages

By registering for this workshop, you are agreeing to use a webcam during discussion and breakout room portions of the workshop. Please also commit to actively participating for the benefit of yourself and the group. Due to the progression of materials presented and the paired exercises, we cannot admit participants who are more than 15 minutes late. More information can be found in the FAQ page on our website.

Who could benefit from this workshop?

We’ve designed this workshop to meet the communication needs of those who use social science methods and approaches to understand social phenomena, but it is open to anyone who would like to build their strategic communication skills. Given our mission at COMPASS, the majority of participants who have participated in our workshops in the past have been professional researchers, scientists, and science users whose work focuses on the environment, and many of our examples draw from this work. However, this workshop is suitable for anyone seeking to make their communication efforts more strategic and relevant for their audience.

Technology

The workshop will be held on the video conferencing platform Zoom. If you are unfamiliar with the platform, this one-minute video explains how to join a meeting. You will need a webcam, microphone, and stable internet connection. Recommended upload/download speed is 5Mbps/5Mbps. Test your internet speed here by clicking “run speed test." This workshop will also incorporate the browser-based whiteboard program called MURAL.