On Science Communication
Replications are a critical consideration when making statistical interferences. As such, much of my time in the wet lab involves engaging in a repetitive task, such as setting up repeat qPCR runs to examine run-to-run variance. During these repititive tasks I take a systematic and sequential approach:
- Type a step-wise plan
- Print out my plan
- Organize necessary supplies
- Turn on noise cancelling headphones
- Tune in to my favorite podcasters
Didn’t see that last step coming, did you?
One of my favorite podcasts, ShortWave, airs easy-to-digest scientific stories all while promoting diversity and encouraging forward-thinking. This past week, I was thoroughly impressed by their story on Dr. Jess Wade, an experimental physicist who writes Wikipedia pages on female and POC scientists in her spare time. At the time the story aired, Dr. Jess Wade had already written over 1200 Wikipedia pages for these underrepresented groups.
This feat is absolutely incredible and undeniabily helps uplift female and POC scientists by making their scientific achievements more accessible to the public. Go ahead and google Rosalind Franklin. What pops up first?
Wikipedia
Bottom line: if there is a Wikipedia page, it will usually be your top result. This isn’t unique to just biographical searches, it also applies to other important topics, such as your research subject. Why should you care?
The Importance of Making your Research Accessible to the Public
From the ShortWave transcript:
EMILY KWONG: Wikipedia sees 300 billion page views every day on average and has the power to influence the direction of scientific research. JESS WADE: So if a research topic or a particular kind of emerging interdisciplinary area is well written about and well documented on Wikipedia, that will grow and blossom. People will be attracted to and read that.
So, trying to get that [insert obscure research subject] proposal funded? Aside from a proposal, put together a Wikipedia page, expand a current one, simplify existing language, etc. to make the information more accessable.
Putting my money where my mouth is…
I found little or erroraneous information when I went looking for the research topics we cover in the Gent Lab. So, I made some corrections and have expanded on some articles. There will always be more to do, but it’s a start!
Of course, there are other ways to make your research more accessible including submitting to open access journals, social media, blogging, giving public talks, etc. But, in the age of CoVID-19, starting some new Wikipedia pages is an easy and safe science communication outreach option.