4.1. Conducting and communicating useful science
From water contamination to floods, hydrology is a scientific discipline with particular importance for society. Many Canadian hydrological studies have resulted in useful infrastructure and engineering projects such as hydropower dams and irrigation systems, all of which require knowledge of the local hydrology (Woo, 2019). Furthermore, the impact of climate change on water quality and quantity is increasingly important for local and regional water security. Accordingly, there was a consensus among most workshop participants that scientific knowledge should be useful to society and for decision-making. There is, however, a disconnect between the current scientific process and how new research findings are communicated to stakeholders.
One barrier is how academics typically disseminate their research findings, through academic journals. Having a multitude of publications in high-impact journals is critical for academic career development (Nicholas et al., 2019). However, journal articles are not usually accessible to the general public, due to technical jargon and prohibitively expensive paywalls (Schiltz, 2018).
Interacting with traditional media (e.g. radio and newspapers) can be a daunting task for ECRs, who typically lack science communication training. There is a risk, with anecdotal evidence (Lutz et al., 2018), for the presented facts to be taken out of context and misrepresented, or to draw criticism against the scientist. Moreover, for ECRs willing to interact with journalists, getting in touch can be difficult, as media outlets typically reach out to long-established contacts within academia, or well-known scientists (Peters, 2013), and less to ECRs and underrepresented groups.
ECRs at the workshop expressed interest in involvement in science education and communication initiatives. However, an increased involvement in science communication may represent a large time commitment on top of already strenuous graduate studies. Outside of the benefit to some scholarships and fellowships, science outreach does not appear to be highly valued professionally. With the added time commitment and perceived lack of professional development, this can represent a large barrier to ECR involvement in science education and communication.