How to choose formats?

The German portal wissenschaftskommunikation.de can help you choose a suitable format. It offers an overview of more than 100 formats including a detailed description. These can be filtered according to several factors. The American Geophysical Union also offers a comprehensive collection of toolkits including a decision tree for the right format on its website.

Researchers should always consider which format is best suited to conveying their information to their target audience. After all, not every format is equally suitable for all target groups and specialised content. It is also important to ask yourself which format suits you best. What do you feel comfortable with? What skills and competences do you bring to the table? This doesn't mean that you can't leave your comfort zone to try something new. 

10 tips for a successful citizen science project description

1. One-sentence overview: The essentials of the project should be summarised briefly and concisely, ideally in one sentence at the beginning of the project description. This should explain the purpose and scope of the project in order to attract attention and interest.
2. Objectives: It is important to provide a clear and explicit description of the direct objectives (e.g. scientific, social or politically orientated) in order to appeal to people who value these objectives and therefore want to make a contribution.
3. Impact: Explain the project's long-term contribution to solving a larger problem that goes beyond the immediate research question or goal of the project to appeal to individuals who value this vision and therefore want to contribute.
4. Tasks/Activities: Describe the activities and tasks to be undertaken by participants as part of the project. Include details about the location, time commitment, tools used, etc. to enable participants to select a project that matches their interests, skills and capacities.
5. Target group: Provide information about potential participants, their relationship to the project area/goals and the necessary skills or (prior) knowledge to ensure a good ‘match’. In this way, you can appeal to the self-identity of the participants.
6. Benefits: Explain the advantages for Citizen Scientists through their participation in the project. Communicate possible motivation and incentives and show how participation promotes personal development.
7. Participation opportunities: Provide concrete, practical information on participation opportunities and an overview of registration and onboarding.
8. Training/Induction: Describe details on induction, training opportunities, resources and possible support for Citizen Scientists. This will help build participants' confidence in making an effective contribution.
9. Access to the results: Explain how the data and results will be used or made accessible to increase transparency. Give participants the opportunity to show the results of their contributions and experience self-efficacy.
10. Appreciation of Citizen Scientists: Express your appreciation for the contributions of Citizen Scientists and/or describe how the project will recognise these contributions. This creates a sense of ownership and makes people proud of their contributions. Open appreciation also helps to improve the reputation and credibility of the project.

A small selection of formats

• Social Media

Science communication is increasingly taking place via social media in the form of diverse audiovisual formats. A research overview by the Transfer Unit summarises the potential associated with this and the challenges that need to be taken into account. The publication contains, for example, tips on the specific preparation of scientific content, dealing with platform-specific logics, various interaction options and active branding. 

• Comics

If scientists want to communicate their research findings in a creative way and appeal to younger target groups in particular, comics are a good option. The science comics created as part of special competitions organised by the Austrian Academy of Sciences are great examples of this. There are stories on biodiversity, media literacy, history, astronomy, genetics etc. for different age groups: 7 to 10 years, 8 to 12 years and 10 to 14 years.

• Science Slam

Taking to the stage as a researcher? The Science Slam is all about the entertaining presentation of a scientific topic in front of an audience. In a short presentation competition, scientists compete against each other and have 10 minutes to win over the audience. Whoever gets the loudest applause wins. Science slams also take place in Austria every year.

• Blog

Nowadays, anyone who enjoys writing can easily set up a blog and share scientific ideas, questions or experiences from everyday research with their readers. The Austrian astronomer and science communicator Florian Freistetter regularly writes about stars and the universe in his blog Astrodicticum Simplex.