You probably landed here because you’re much like me:
💬 You love science and understanding the world we live in.
💬 You want to share and communicate your exciting scientific findings.
💬 You hope for people to make better decisions based on scientific research.
Maybe you’ve already started diving into the science communication world. You may have realized how much you enjoy it and that you are pretty good at it. You probably want to explore it more and even consider a career in this exciting field.
Or maybe your love for research pushes you to find better ways to explain your work to others or bridge the gap between different fields.
Whatever your motivation for your science communication project is, I know that getting started can be overwhelming or even frustrating. You may not be sure what your first step should be, how to start or where to find adequate resources.
At the beginning, I struggled with the same issues. I knew I wanted to share my scientific knowledge with anyone who wanted to hear about it. But I had no idea how to start, which platform to use, what kind of project to focus on and what to expect.
As I decided to start a science blog, I went through massive amounts of resources, read books and articles and did courses to learn the basics of science communication, blogging and audience building. While I was happy about my progress, I was also frustrated about how difficult it was to find truly useful advice and get to where I wanted to be.
Obviously, the journey into science communication is different for everyone. I hope that sharing my story here will inspire you in your own science communication goals.
During my postdoc in Spain, I wanted to figure out what a non-academic career would look like for me. As a first dive into the science communication world, I started volunteering for a professional microbiology society as a social media editor. I wrote social media posts about recent research papers and enjoyed breaking down complex science for a professional audience.
I got hooked and started writing highlight articles for scientific journals and societies about microbiology research, for which I received lots of positive feedback. In 2019, I even decided to start the blog BacterialWorld where I wrote about bacteria and the fascinating things they do for a non-scientist audience. My goal was to work on my writing skills while also raising awareness about how bacteria impact everything in our lives.
And I enjoyed every part of it.
During the pandemic, my postdoc contract ran out and I was also pretty tired of applying for funding, doing experiments and being dependent on the lab. So, at the end of 2020, I decided to take the brave step of leaving academia and swapping the bench for the beach.
I wanted to share scientific knowledge as an online science communicator and writer and see the world. After living as a full-on digital nomad for a while and lots of time reflecting on the opportunities of my new non-academic life, in 2023, I decided to call Alicante on the Spanish coast my home.
As I now get to work from anywhere and at any time, I can follow all my passions: reading and writing about science and science communication, traveling and learning about new cultures while also playing beach volleyball and doing various outdoor activities.
Over the years, I established a reliable base of clients, mainly professional societies and scientific associations. For them, I keep reading and learning about (micro)biology research while writing blog posts, articles and social media content, building websites and blogs, or even developing entire science communication strategies.
Thankfully, during the beginning of my SciComm Journey, I met Justine Dees, a fellow microbiologist-turned-science writer with a blog about microbes similar to mine. We started talking about the whole adventure, helped each other by trying to find solutions together or just by being each other’s sounding board and accountability partners.
After a while, we both realized that without such a support system, the whole journey would have been a lot to handle. So, we decided to create SciComm Society as a supporting network for anyone interested in sharing their science with the world.
We believed that:
We both knew that even though many scientists are motivated to share their scientific knowledge, they often lack the necessary skills to do so. And we were convinced that scientists can learn these skills with effective tools, guidance and practice. So, SciComm Society was founded with the goal of providing truly helpful and engaging tools and resources for scientists to share their knowledge and make a real impact.
After a short while, Justine left SciComm Society to focus on her own science writing business; you may still come across her on the website though. I, however, am still highly motivated to help you find your science communication voice, break out of the science bubble and become a known expert in your field.
My motivation stems from my believe that when people learn and understand scientific concepts, they feel more included, giving them a sense of belonging to a community. With their newly acquired knowledge, people are empowered to make better decisions not only for their health but also for society and the environment.
One way to achieve that is by expressing our knowledge, thoughts and opinions. This way, we, as scientists, build trust and empathy, the basis of meaningful relationships. Hence, clear, engaging and straightforward communication is the foundation of every evolution: the advancement of our society, personal growth as well as scientific and technological progress.
This is why the Engaging Scientist blog contains stories about science communication from both me and SciComm Society’s community members. Sharing our thoughts, experiences and fears during our SciComm Journey shows others that they are not alone in this adventure. The Engaging Scientist blog is thus meant to help you find solutions to already tackled challenges.
Obviously, science communication provides you with several possibilities, projects and career options. Whether you want to get creative with a science blog, spread your knowledge widely on social media or dive deep into a topic in a written piece, your adventure is waiting for you. To learn about opportunities in the science communication field, check out the SciComm Journey.
Since we’re all busy and prefer to learn in different formats and at different paces, you can choose your way of learning according to your liking. Check out SciComm Society’s resources on training, coaching, webinars, guides and online courses to improve your science communication skills and become an excellent science communicator.
If you want to go a step further and become a full-time science communicator, you’re in the right place. Whether you want to leave academia for a career in SciComm or start a science-communication-focused online business, the world needs more engaged science communicators like you. Justine and I are here to share what we learned on our adventures and accompany you through every step of this exciting journey.
