Online Talk with Antje Boetius“Passion for your subject is the best prerequisite for good science communication”

16 November 2020

Antje Boetius steht vor einem Schiff mit der Aufschrift "Science"

Photo: Esther Horvath

Never before has there been so much talk about the topic of research communication as in 2020. So this was a good time for our online talk on 12 November. We spoke with professor and successful communicator Antje Boetius about the new public interest in science, good research communication, and the chances this offers for your own career.

Prof. Dr. Antje Boetius is a professor for geomicrobiology at the University of Bremen and director of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research. She has been speaking enthusiastically to the public about her research for years. But you can’t just do that in your spare time. Since the beginning of her career, she has made communication a regular part of her daily work. And the effort has more than paid off. Many people want to know more about science and research and are inspired by her enthusiasm. Many have smart questions about scientific knowledge—for example, how does it fit into social trends and how does it help us make decisions. In addition to the significance for society, she sees advantages for her own research and career. Being able to get to the heart of key messages in just a few words makes it easier to write grant proposals, scientific presentations, and articles. In addition, communication skills are becoming increasingly important for research projects, so much so that the media skills you list in your CV now offer a real advantage in the application process.

Try, fail, move on

An important key to successful research communication is being passionate about your own subject. Antje Boetius encourages young researchers, in particular, to try out different communication channels before they set their focus. Social media, for example, has the great advantage that you can write freely about research topics and engage in direct exchange with the community. She herself has focused her efforts on analog events such as lectures, panels, and workshops as well as on traditional media including television, newspapers, and radio. She believes that having fun with trying out new things and a certain amount of experiencing failure, getting up, and moving on is part of every channel. Just as you can get caught in a flood of negative criticism on social media, working with journalists or even taking part in debates on talk shows have potential for misunderstanding. In any case, it helps to understand the requirements and methods of the respective medium and to learn from your own mistakes. Antje Boetius, for example, prefers to provide the press with her own clearly written texts and formulations. In this way, she avoids interpretations and cuts being made later by other people.

Tips for getting started:

Present your research to family or friends who are not experts in the subject. This will help you to hone your message.
Don’t hide your media skills! You can also include your experience using YouTube on your CV.
Authentic communication is the key: not every medium is right for every person. Try it out and find out what suits you best, is fun for you, and can be integrated into your daily work routine.
Find out what formats your institution can get involved with. From open house days and science blogs to public round tables—Hamburg has a great range of events to offer!

Thick skin and humor in the face of opposition

The focus of the questions from the audience of 50 was the interaction with science-deniers. Do you have to respond to hostility and how do you take the wind out of the sails when it comes to fake news? As a scientist, you sometimes need to have a thick skin in public, admits Antje Boetius. She advises that you develop your own position for situating research within societal trends and issues, but also that you heed your own boundaries and focus your efforts primarily on people who are interested in listening and exchanging ideas. If you get bombarded, it helps to exchange ideas with other communicators, to discuss the issues together, and not to lose your sense of humor in the process.

When asked what she would like to see in the future, Antje Boetius answers without hesitating: Research communication should be a key qualification at an earlier point in the training and education of scientists and be more strongly emphasized as a positive career factor. We are curious to see whether 2020’s impact on research communication will move us closer to these goals!

Good to know:

Find out what science communication has to do with frogfish and Angela Merkel in Antje Boetius’ acceptance speech at the 2018 Communicator Award ceremony.
One of Antje Boetius’ favorite 2020 communication products: the Tschira foundation podcast with Norbert Lammert
The project on science communication at the Hamburg Research Academy is funded by the Claussen Simon Foundation. More information is available on the project page.

Prof. Dr. Antje Boetius

Prof. Dr. Antje Boetius is a professor for geomicrobiology at the University of Bremen and director of the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). She is also chair of the steering committee for science in dialog (Wissenschaft in Dialog) and vice president of the Helmholtz Association.

As a deep-sea researcher, she has made her research accessible to the general public with numerous TV and radio appearances, publications, and articles. She has received several awards for her talent in communicating the importance of research to the public, including the Communicator Award from the German Research Foundation.

Her research focuses on the impact of climate change on the biogeochemistry and biodiversity of the Arctic Ocean. Last year she was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit for her work in climate research and communication.