Scientists’ side of the microphone: An examination of agricultural and natural resources podcast guests’ experiences

Abstract

While some food, agricultural, natural resources, and human science (FANRHS) experts participate in a variety of outreach opportunities, many face barriers to public interaction such as lack of incentive, knowledge, or confidence. This study examined scientists’ and Extensionists’ outreach experiences as guests on science podcasts. Results showed the guests had minimal formal science communication training yet were highly educated individuals and involved with informal education. Future research should examine how peer-modeling can be used to recruit more scientists to science communication opportunities and how institutions can improve training for outreach such as podcasts.

Keywords

• Science Communication
• Public Engagement
• Mixed Methods