MAX-PLANCK-INSTITUT FÜR WISSENSCHAFTSGESCHICHTE Max Planck Institute for the History of Science

Communications Project (2024-)

Towards an Inclusive Public Communications Strategy in the History of Science

The MPIWG Public Communications Team is relatively new and in a developing phase. At the same time, the Institute itself continues to grow as a site of interdisciplinary humanities and social science research.

However, until now the Institute’s public communications has highlighted research and perspectives already well represented in the wider academic and public sphere. And research communication more broadly is imbalanced in its representation both of people involved in research and in the kinds of perspectives made visible.

The project "Towards an Inclusive Public Communications Strategy in the History of Science" looks to redress this imbalance through collaboration with MPIWG members, communications practitioners, and academic researchers in science communication. Over five years the project aims to identify asymmetries in communicating about researchers, topics, and epistemologies that are often excluded through contemporary science communication; understand the reasons behind this; and develop policies, formats, and mentorship programs that work towards a more inclusive public communications practice at the Institute.

 

Focus Areas

  • Representation of People and Perspectives in Science Communication

    We aim to work towards identifying points of underrepresentation in public communication and explore how we can balance this asymmetry over the long term. This might be through identifying new aims, objectives, and target audiences in public communication; creating new formats; engaging with certain outlets; building new external collaborations or strengthening existing ones; and developing mentorship and training opportunities in public communication for Institute staff and researchers.

  • Communications Formats and Strategies for the Humanities and Social Sciences

    Many existing “science communication” formats and strategies focusing on STEM science and classic PR styles (such as press releases) have their uses in communicating research in the humanities and social sciences. But such formats often focus on “breakthroughs” or on “educating the public” on what science is or does, known as the “deficit model.”

    This leads to the exclusion of many people and research perspectives at our Institute, and more widely in the humanities and social sciences. We therefore see opportunities to develop approaches to identifying core messages, formats, and outlets appropriate in communicating research for the history of science as well as the humanities and social sciences more broadly.

  • Contributing to Wider Social Discourse around Contemporary Issues

    The MPIWG Communications Team sees an emphasis in mainstream media and science communication on STEM fields that leaves a significant gap in contributions from the humanities and social sciences around contemporary issues in science and society.

    But there is a great deal of potential for the humanities and social sciences to influence public, policy, and political debates and opinions around wider topics, and in recognizing and adding nuance to current debates, such as e.g., trust in science and science diplomacy.

    Through this project we aim to identify which topics we can contribute to, and develop our communications strategy—from aims and objectives, to outlets, formats, and mentorship and training programs for our staff and researchers—to start to redress this imbalance towards a more inclusive and interdisciplinary communications strategy that contributes to wider public discourse.

Timeline

  • 2024—Phase 1: Development of a Strategy Framework/Roadmap

    In order to develop a meaningful strategy the MPIWG must undertake research into the current stand and areas for improvement in its own public communications, and of academic research more widely.

    In the first phase of the project we will collaborate with Vanessa Mignan, a practitioner in inclusive public communication, to survey and interview MPIWG staff, researchers, and external collaborators in communications/media in order to draw up a five-year public communications strategy roadmap.

    The MPIWG's Research Communication and Management Team will also receive three training sessions in inclusion in public science communication.

    The roadmap will cover 5 key areas focusing on the MPIWG's public communications as well as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices of the Research Communication and Management Team:

     

    The research plan and strategic roadmap will be used by the MPIWG and be made available to other Max Planck Institutes looking to develop their own inclusive public communications.

  • 2025–29—Phase 2: Strategy Implementation

    Utilizing the roadmap outlined in phase 1, in this phase we will work to apply the inclusive strategy for public communications at the MPIWG.

  • 2030—Phase 3: Evaluation and Ongoing Development

    A sustainable, meaningful communications strategy requires regular assessment of its successes in reaching its aims and objectives, as well as areas for change or improvement. This stage of the project will therefore be to undertake an evaluation phase that (1) ensures the project's ongoing development at the MPIWG and (2) enables the strategy to serve as a template for other research institutes in the long term, in particular those working in the humanities and social sciences. From here the strategy would be regularly adapted towards the ongoing and changing aims of inclusive interdisciplinary public communications over the long term.

Max Planck Diversity Fund

This project is supported by the Max Planck Society’s Diversity Excellence Fund. This initiative finances start-up projects at Max Planck Institutes with a view to making them long-term integrated projects that can also be followed by other institutes.

MPG Website: More about the Diversity Excellence Fund
Related Reading
Anti-racist science communication starts with recognising its globally diverse historical footprint (LSE Blog, Lindy Orthia and Elizabeth Rasekoala, 2020) Queering Science Communication: Representations, Theory, and Practice (Lindy A. Orthia and Tara Roberson, eds; 2023) Race and Sociocultural Inclusion in Science Communication: Innovation, Decolonisation, and Transformation (Elizabeth Rasekoala, ed.; 2023) Dawson, Emily, et al. "Exploring the politics of science communication research: looking at science communication from a social justice perspective." Journal of Science Communication 21.7 (2022). Finlay, Summer May, et al. "From the margins to the mainstream: deconstructing science communication as a white, Western paradigm." Journal of Science Communication 20.1 (2021). Roberson, Tara. "On social change, agency, and public interest: what can science communication learn from public relations?." Journal of Science Communication 19.2 (2020).