Science Communication for Social Good
About
The Science Communication for Social Good Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) team is open to students in all majors and seeks to understand the roles science journalism and other types of mass communication related to science serve in society.
This VIP team is led by School of Journalism Assistant Professor Josh Anderson and School of Government and Public Policy Associate Professor Yotam Shmargad.
Our Area of Focus
The goal of this research group is to investigate social issues in science communication using social scientific methods. If this sounds very broad, it is! Many social and political issues have a science angle, including but not limited to: climate change, COVID-19 and food and drug policy. Many scientific topics also have social and political dynamics, such as federal government funding for universities and other sites of research and innovation. Our vision for this team is that we can use the methods of social science to explore one or more of these research topics as a team, and eventually through instruction and practice, give students the ability to design their own research studies to explore the science and society topics of their choice.
Methods and Tech
The team leaders are experienced social scientists who bring a variety of research methodologies students may learn from. Students may expect to learn the basics of:
- Survey methodologies
- Experimental design
- Interview methods
- Computational text analysis
- Network analysis
- Time series analysis
As students develop their own research projects, they will receive more specialized training in relevant research methodologies.
Preferred Interests and Preparation
- Interested in communication about science issues
- Interested in communication for the public benefit
- Interested in learning social science research techniques
- Dedicated self-learner
- Communicative when they encounter issues
- Good at working in a team environment
Get Involved
To express interest in this team, please complete the VIP Interest Form and select "Science Communication for Social Good"
We only recruit students for credit.