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National Resources

Looking to learn more about the field of public engagement? Check out some of the resources below.

  • American Academy of Sciences. 2018. Perceptions of science in America. (13 September 2018; www.amacad.org/multimedia/pdfs/publications/researchpapersmonographs/PFoS-Perceptions/PFoS-Perceptions-Science-America.pdf).
  • Besley J, Dudo A, Yuan S. 2017. Scientists’ views about communication objectives. Public Understanding of Science:1–23.
  • Canfield, K. & Menezes, S. 2020. The State of Inclusive Science Communication: A Landscape Study. Metcalf Institute, University of Rhode Island. Kingston, RI. 77 pp. https://inclusivescicomm.org/files/State-of-Inclusive-SciComm-2020-2.pdf
  • Cohen GL, Aronson J, Steele CM. 2000. When beliefs yield to evidence: Reducing biased evaluation by affirming the self. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 26:1151–1164.
  • Dawson E. 2014. Reframing social exclusion from science communication: Moving away from “barriers” towards a more complex perspective. Journal of Science Communication 13.
  • Dawson E. 2018. Reimagining publics and (non)participation: Exploring exclusion from science communication through the experiences of low-income, minority ethnic groups. Public Understanding of Science Theoretical/ research paper.
  • Falk J, Dierking L. 2012. The Personal Context: Identity-related motivations. Pages 37–63 in The Museum Experience Revisited. Routledge.
  • Goldman S. 2017. Design Thinking. in K. Peppler, ed. The SAGE Encyclopedia of Out-of-School Learning. Sage Publishing.
  • Kahan D. 2010. Fixing the communications failure. Nature 463: 296-297.
  • Kahan D. 2015. Climate-science communication and the measurement problem. Political Psychology 36:1–43.
  • Leshner AI. 2007. Outreach training needed. Science 315:161.
  • Nadkarni, N., Weber, C., Goldman, S., Schatz, D., Allen, S., Menlove, R. 2019. Beyond the Deficit Model: The Ambassador Approach to Public Engagement. Bioscience 69: 305-313.
  • Nadkarni NM. 2004. Not preaching to the choir: Communicating the importance of forest conservation to nontraditional audiences. Conservation Biology 18: 602-606.
  • Nadkarni NM. 2007. Ecological outreach to faith-based communities. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 5: 332-333.
  • National Alliance for Broader Impacts. 2018. The Current State of Broader Impacts: Advancing Science and Benefiting Society.
  • Pew Research Center. 2009. Public praises science: scientists fault public, media. (13 September 2018; http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/legacy-pdf/528.pdf).
  • Risien J, Storksdieck M. 2018. Unveiling Impact Identities: A Path for Connecting Science and Society. Integrative and Comparative Biology 58:58–66.
  • Selvakumar, M., and M. Storksdieck. 2013. Portal to the Public: Museum educators collaborating with scientists to engage museum visitors with current science. Curator: The Museum Journal 56:69–78.
  • Sturgis P, Allum N. 2004. Science in society: Re-evaluating the deficit model of public attitudes. Public Understanding of Science 13: 55–74.
  • Ulrich C, Nadkarni NM. 2009. Sustainability research and practices in enforced residential institutions: Collaborations of ecologists and prisoners. Environment, Development and Sustainability 11: 815–832.

Check out the networks below to keep up with the latest in public engagement of science (PES).

Science Talk
Science Talk is a non-profit organization that seeks to empower and inspire the science communication community to expand their communication potential and affect the world. They host an annual conference on communicating science.

Center for Advancing Research Impacts in Society (ARIS): ARIS (formerly NABI) is a Center funded by the National Science Foundation to support scientists and public engagement practitioners in building capacity to demonstrate the impact of research in society. The Center holds an annual Summit, publishes a regular newsletter, and offers Fellowship opportunities.

Friends of Joe’s Big Idea (FOJBI)
NPR Scicommers is a network of 900 scientists across the country who are interested in public engagement. Created by science correspondent Joe Palca and producer Maddie Sofia of NPR, the NPR SciCommers network provides a platform for scientists to share resources, job opportunities, and ideas. Berly McCoy serves as the Scicommers Coordinator.

Center for Advancement of Informal Science Education (CAISE)
CAISE is an NSF funded Center that provides infrastructure and resources for informal science education practitioners and researchers. The CAISE website features a repository of informal science education programs and evaluation tools.