You don’t get better at explaining your work just by planning it.
That’s the gap, most of us prepare it, but rarely practice it.
Real progress comes from trying, seeing where people get stuck, getting feedback, and adjusting.
Sharing data isn’t the same as communicating it. Turning information into a story, and building relationships goes a long way in building trust.
It’s a helpful shift from “How do I explain my work?” to “Who am I actually trying to connect with?” #SciCommFridays
www.linkedin.com/posts/john-b...
Outreach changes when it stops explaining and starts involving.
Allison Cusick reimagined sharing research as an experience—students in the field, testing ideas and seeing what holds.
Good #SciComm opens space for curiosity and participation. And it doesn’t happen without support.
Are you communicating or engaging?
Broadcasting isn’t the goal.
Pushing out facts is simple. Designing experiences where people participate, question, and see themselves in the work, that’s what makes outreach stick.
That’s the shift. It’s what we build as a part of #BeyondResearch.
#ScienceEngagement #SciComm
Bar chart showing a decrease in the percentage of college-educated respondents who feel strongly that science benefits them. In 2020, the value is 69 percent. In 2024, the value is 38 percent. The chart shows a clear decline over time. Source: Research!America.
We don’t talk enough about how people experience science in everyday life.
About 1 in 3 Americans don’t feel scientists’ work benefits them.
That’s a big disconnect.
Closing that gap starts with how we show up, listen, and connect with our communities. #SciCommFridays
Slide 1 Alt text: Most elevator pitches start in the wrong place. Slide 2 Alt text: Version 1: I study atmospheric chemistry. This approach assumes the audience already understands the context. Slide 3 Alt text: Version 2: I study what’s driving changes in air quality. This approach creates context for the audience. Slide 4 Alt text: Same work, different entry point. One approach assumes understanding. The other builds it.
Slide 1 Alt text: Most elevator pitches start in the wrong place. Slide 2 Alt text: Version 1: I study atmospheric chemistry. This approach assumes the audience already understands the context. Slide 3 Alt text: Version 2: I study what’s driving changes in air quality. This approach creates context for the audience. Slide 4 Alt text: Same work, different entry point. One approach assumes understanding. The other builds it.
Slide 1 Alt text: Most elevator pitches start in the wrong place. Slide 2 Alt text: Version 1: I study atmospheric chemistry. This approach assumes the audience already understands the context. Slide 3 Alt text: Version 2: I study what’s driving changes in air quality. This approach creates context for the audience. Slide 4 Alt text: Same work, different entry point. One approach assumes understanding. The other builds it.
Slide 1 Alt text: Most elevator pitches start in the wrong place. Slide 2 Alt text: Version 1: I study atmospheric chemistry. This approach assumes the audience already understands the context. Slide 3 Alt text: Version 2: I study what’s driving changes in air quality. This approach creates context for the audience. Slide 4 Alt text: Same work, different entry point. One approach assumes understanding. The other builds it.
Most elevator pitches don’t land for a simple reason:
They start in the wrong place.
The problem isn’t the science, it’s how you open.
Where you begin changes how everything is understood.
Where do you usually start when you explain your work? #SciComm
Capacity is not built by exposure. It is built through practice and feedback.
In our latest piece on investing in #SciComm, we kept coming back to one word: capacity.
Real capacity doesn’t emerge by accident. It grows through practice and thoughtful feedback.
Read more: www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-in...
#HigherEd
Most institutions are well-equipped to support research. Communication is still treated as an individual responsibility.
Most departments put real resources into labs, equipment, and grant support.
But #SciComm? Not so much.
And you can feel it, in collaboration, in engagement, in how work is understood (or misunderstood).
Communication skills don’t just develop on their own. They need structure.
Support shapes what becomes possible.
Scientists don’t lack ideas for outreach.
They often lack the support to act on them.
Time. Resources. Partnerships.
When those are in place, the work becomes more intentional, more creative, and more connected to real communities.
Support shapes what becomes possible.
Why does the Moon appear larger on the horizon?
Why does the Moon look larger near the horizon?
SCoPE awardee Corrine Rojas shares the Moon illusion and why it still puzzles scientists.
We don’t always have the answer. That’s part of what makes this such a strong science communication moment
www.linkedin.com/posts/activi...
Dark blue graphic with text saying "The goal of communication isn't to prove expertise. It's to build understanding."
The goal of communication isn’t to prove how much you know.
It’s to help someone else understand.
Communication improves when the audience — not the speaker — becomes the reference point.
At SCoPE, we're building a place for scientists to practice and get thoughtful feedback.
What happens when scientists are actually supported in outreach?
The impact goes far beyond research.
One SCoPE Seed Grant awardee took a portable planetarium into local schools, linking ocean science with space.
“It has changed my life… and children’s lives too.”
#SciComm #STEMeducation
Dark blue graphic with the test saying "The gap is not interest. It is connection."
Most Americans can’t name a living scientist.
The issue isn’t lack of interest. It’s lack of connection.
In our latest piece, we argue that #SciComm should be treated as a core research skill, not an afterthought.
Read more: www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-in...
#PublicTrust
Slide with a dark blue background and the heading “SCIENCE COMMUNICATION” at the top. The main text asks, “What has made the biggest difference in how you communicate your work?” The phrase “biggest difference” and “communicate your work?” are emphasized in larger, bold text, with “communicate your work?” shown in blue. A horizontal blue line appears near the bottom.
Researchers are expected to communicate with all kinds of audiences.
But most of the support? Still informal or optional.
What’s actually helped you improve how you talk about your work?
#SciComm #HigherEd #ProfessionalDevelopment
Dark blue graphic with white text saying "I became a better communicator and it ruined my career"- Said no one ever. There is also a yellow dividing line in the middle
I became a better communicator, and it ruined my career.” — Said no one ever.
Getting better at #SciComm doesn’t pull you away from your research, it helps your research go further.
Curious? Read more: www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-in...
#ResearchImpact #HigherEd
alt text: Graphic with the text “Concise. Clear. Impressive.” at the top. Below, a simple line drawing shows a person standing inside an elevator holding a badge, with a speech bubble that reads “And what do you do?” Elevator buttons are visible on the wall. A yellow banner at the bottom reads “ELEVATOR PITCH TOOLKIT,” alongside the SCoPE logo and the words “BEYOND RESEARCH.”
“So what do you work on?”
An easy question — until you have to answer it.
Be concise.
Be clear.
Be compelling.
All at once.
That’s why we created the Elevator Pitch Toolkit. Start crafting your pitch today:
scope.asu.edu/science-comm...
#SciComm
Dark blue background and the heading “Explaining exposes overconfidence.” In the center, the number 4.0 appears above a horizontal line and the number 2.8 appears below it, with a large yellow downward arrow to the right indicating a decrease. Below, the text reads “Self ratings before and after explanation. Illusion of Explanatory Depth (2 studies).” The SCoPE logo appears in the bottom right corner.
How well do you understand your own work? Give it a 1–5.
Now try explaining it in just two sentences.
Research on the “illusion of explanatory depth” shows that confidence often drops after the first attempt at explaining. Putting ideas into words reveals the gaps.
#SciCommFriday
Graphic with a dark blue background divided by a thin yellow horizontal line. At the top, the heading “MYTH” appears above the statement, “If you know your science well enough, you’ll communicate it clearly.” Below the line, the heading “REALITY” appears above the statement, “Expertise often makes clarity harder.” The word “clarity harder” is emphasized in bold.
Myth: Deep knowledge automatically leads to clear explanations.
Reality: The more specialized you become, the easier it is to overlook what others don’t know.
Clarity isn’t a byproduct of expertise, it comes from testing your message, getting feedback, and refining it over time.
#SciComm
Graphic with a dark blue gradient background and text that says "Science communication is not an add on. It's a core research skill. Research, analysis, publication, and communication." With a SCoPE Beyond Research logo
We often treat science communication as something that happens after the research.
But clear communication across disciplines and communities isn’t optional, it’s part of the work. Too often, researchers must figure it out alone.
This week, we’re exploring why #SciComm is more than visibility.
What’s hardest about your elevator pitch?
A) Cutting jargon
B) Making it memorable
C) Making it relevant
We designed our new (free) Elevator Pitch Toolkit around all three.
scope.asu.edu/science-comm...
#SciCommFriday
Science communication challenges rarely come from a lack of effort. More often, they come from a lack of support.
Beyond Research is one way SCoPE supports teams in building shared communication practices.
scope.asu.edu/beyond-research-overview/
#BeyondResearch #SCoPEconnects
"Dark blue background with text about an elevator pitch toolkit, 'Now Live' in yellow." Transcribed Text: "SCoPE BEYOND RESEARCH The Elevator Pitch Toolkit Clear. Memorable. Relevant. Now Live"
🚀 The Elevator Pitch Toolkit is now live.
Clear. Memorable. Relevant.
If your message doesn’t hit those three marks, momentum stalls.
This is the first in our new Science Communication Toolkit series and it's free!
scope.asu.edu/science-comm...
#SciComm
Being an effective science communicator isn’t about personality. It’s a skill set.
Many scientists assume they’re “just not communicators,” when what they’re really missing is practice and support.
With the right resources, sharing science can feel far less intimidating.
#SCoPEconnects #SciComm
Yellow graphic with white text box quoting George Bernard Shaw who said "the single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place."
Sharing information can feel like the finish line.
Understanding is where the work actually begins.
#SciCommFriday #SCoPEConnects
Blue graphic with yellow text box explaining that product driven communications are a short term goal vs people driven communications are a long term goal.
#SciComm isn’t a one-and-done thing.
You don’t learn it once and check a box. These skills grow with practice and time.
What you build carries with you across roles, projects, and even sectors. By investing in these skills, you’re investing in tools you’ll keep using and adapting along the way.
Open elevator with stainless steel interior and overhead lights inside a gray hallway. A green upward arrow is displayed above the elevator doors, and a red call button is mounted on the wall beside it. On the right side of the graphic, a yellow background contains the SCoPE logo with the words “BEYOND RESEARCH,” the large title “ELEVATOR PITCH TOOLKIT,” and the text “Launching next week!”
How strong is your elevator pitch?
If it relies on jargon, lacks something memorable, or doesn’t feel relevant, people tune out.
Our first Science Communication Toolkit helps you fix that!
Launching next week. Free.
#SciComm
Sharing research is important, but it’s not the whole story.
We’re trained to produce research, not always to translate it. Impact happens when people understand why it matters.
We’re launching a new Science Communication Toolkit series to support that shift.
Details soon.
#SciComm
Graphic showing how SCoPE is at the center of training, outreach, and STEM community building
Connection sits at the center of SCoPE’s work.
We focus on bringing scientists together and supporting science communication and outreach in ways that help research reach beyond its immediate circle.
#SCoPEconnects #SciComm
Only about 1 in 3 Americans can name a living scientist. Research!America has shown that people value science, but personal connection is still missing.
That gap between interest and connection is where science communication really matters.
Join us for #SciCommFridays for tips & resources!
Information is what we share.
Understanding is what people can connect to.
That difference matters.
