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  • Environmental scientists’ support for public engagement strategy development is predicted by a range of factors, but mostly perceived benefits

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Title: Environmental scientists’ support for public engagement strategy development is predicted by a range of factors, but mostly perceived benefits
Communication strategies define audience-specific behavioral goals, identify priority cognitive and affective communication objectives necessary to achieving those goals, and propose specific communication tactics meant to increase the likelihood of achieving those objectives. Unfortunately, it appears that few scientific organizations have concrete, evidence-based strategies. This study therefore uses survey data to explore environmental scientists’ willingness to prioritize the behavioral goal of creating a shared public engagement strategy. It finds that the best predictor of prioritizing strategy development is the perceived benefits of having a strategy. The perceived feasibility of developing a strategy given available resources, and trust in their engagement staff were also reasonable predictors of strategy prioritization. Early career respondents and those who said they had previously thought about developing an engagement strategy were also more likely to say they think developing an engagement strategy should be prioritized. The study builds on the strategic communication as planned behavior approach to try to better understand scientists’ communication choices in a way that could support efforts to improve these choices.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1929393 2215188
NSF-PAR ID:
10518126
Author(s) / Creator(s):
;
Publisher / Repository:
Taylor & Francis
Date Published:
Journal Name:
International Journal of Science Education, Part B
ISSN:
2154-8455
Page Range / eLocation ID:
1 to 16
Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
scientists strategic communication goals
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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