Presentation about Canadian Scientists' views about public engagement given at the Canadian Science Policy Conference, November 2018.

1. What Canadian Scientists
Think about Public Engagement
Kathryn O’Hara (Carleton) & John Besley (MSU)
Remember by Brandon Glesbrech via Flickr Creative Commons

2. Context …
2012 Ottawa march by scientists concerned about
Conservative government’s science-related
policies and communication limits
Bruce Campion-Smith / Toronto Star / Getty Images
2017 March for Science by scientists concerned
about American government science policies, as
well as broader related to science in society
Lisa Cummings for Vice
But … we don’t know much about what
Canadian scientists are doing or
thinking about public engagement …

3. The survey …
• 15-25 minutes
• N = 1,142 (17% response rate)
• Dec. 2017-Jan. 2018
Sections on …
• Engagement behavior
• Views about goals/
objectives/tactics
• Demographics
• Confidential (MSU IRB)

4. The sample …
• Average age: 52
• Identifies male: 71%
• Identifies white: 81%
• Identifies liberal: 81%
• Communication training: 55%
• Career level-Senior: 58%
• Impact-Relatively High: 62%
N = ~1,142
• Biology/Medical: 47%
• Engineering: 20%
• Computer science/Math: 16
• Physics astronomy: 11%
• Geosciences: 9%
• Chemistry: 8%
• Social/Behavourial: 4%
• Other: 5%

5. Past engagement …
N = ~1,142
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Never (0) Once (1) 2-5 times (2) 6-11 times (3) About once a
month (4)
Multiple times
per month (5)
Once a week
or more (6)
Face-to-Face (M = 2.33)
Protest (M = 1.45)
Online (M = 2.29)
Mediated (M = 2.23)
Policy (M = 1.79)

6. Past engagement …
N = ~1,142
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Never (0) Once (1) 2-5 times (2) 6-11 times (3) About once a
month (4)
Multiple times
per month (5)
Once a week
or more (6)
Face-to-Face (M = 2.33)
Protest (M = 1.45)
Online (M = 2.29)
Mediated (M = 2.23)
Policy (M = 1.79)

7. Willingness to engage …
N = ~1,142
5.66
5.43 5.37
4.06
3.57
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
• Lots of future willingness
for F2F, policy, and mediated
engagement
• Less willingness for online
and protest channels

8. Attitudes towards expected engagement audiences …
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
Have little
knowledge
about science*
Understand
what you have
to say*
Listen to what
you have to say
Treat you with
respect
Be rude Believe what
you have to say
Audience
fairness (alpha =
.86)
F2F (n =~571)
Protest (n = ~ 550)
*Not included in scale
Strongly disagree (1) – Strongly agree (7)

9. Strongly disagree (1) – Strongly agree (7)
Beliefs about …
Engagement Norms Engagement-related Efficacy

10. Beliefs about Engagement Norms and Efficacy
Strongly disagree (1) – Strongly agree (7)
5.48
3.94
3.36
4.35
5.26
3.86
4.90
2.86
3.39
2.89
4.26
3.91
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
Injunctive Norms
(alpha = .63)
Descriptive Norms
(alpha = .83)
... I care what my
colleagues think …
Self Efficacy (alpha
= .84)
Response Efficacy
(alpha = .80)
I do not have the
time ….
F2F (n = ~571)
Protest (n = ~550)

11. Scientists’ long-term engagement goals
83.10
76.60 76.27
71.25
68.24 66.63
83.42
73.50
69.52
58.56 61.11 58.99
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00
Ensuring policy
makers use scientific
evidence
Ensure adequate
funding
Ensuring Canadian
culture values
science
Getting more young
people to choose
scientific careers …
Helping people use
science to make
better personal
decisions
Fulfilling a duty to
society
F2F (n =~571)
Protest (n = ~ 550)
Very low importance (0) – Very high importance (100)

12. Scientists’ long-term engagement goals
83.10
76.60 76.27
71.25
68.24 66.63
83.42
73.50
69.52
58.56 61.11 58.99
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00
Ensuring policy
makers use scientific
evidence
Ensure adequate
funding
Ensuring Canadian
culture values
science
Getting more young
people to choose
scientific careers …
Helping people use
science to make
better personal
decisions
Fulfilling a duty to
society
F2F (n =~571)
Protest (n = ~ 550)
Very low importance (0) – Very high importance (100)

13. Scientists’ immediate engagement objectives
Very low importance (0) – Very high importance (100)
78.91 76.57
70.21 69.09 67.50 66.97
60.15
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00
Helping to
inform people
about scientific
issues
Getting people
interested or
excited about
science
Showing that
the scientific
community cares
about society's
well-being
Showing the
scientific
community's
expertise or
ability to solve
problems
Demonstrating
the scientific
community's
openness and
transparency
Discrediting
people who
spread myths or
incorrect
scientific
information
Hearing what
others think
about scientific
issues

14. Willingness to use engagement tactics …
5.99
5.46
5.22 5.15 5.11
4.91
4.05
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
"Speak in a way
that helps to
connect with an
audience"
"Tell first-person
stories in a way
that help to
connect with an
audience"
"Make sure that
non-scientists
feel like they are
being listened to
…"
"Dress in a way
that helps to
connect with an
audience"
"… [T]alk about
[how] a desire to
help … plays in
shaping their
research …"
"… [O]rganize a
group … to send
decision-makers
a common
message"
"… [Q]uestion
the credibility of
those who
disagree with a ...
consensus"
Strongly disagree (1) – Strongly agree (7)

15. Willingness to use engagement tactics …
5.99
5.46
5.22 5.15 5.11
4.91
4.05
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
"Speak in a way
that helps to
connect with an
audience"
"Tell first-person
stories in a way
that help to
connect with an
audience"
"Make sure that
non-scientists
feel like they are
being listened to
…"
"Dress in a way
that helps to
connect with an
audience"
"… [T]alk about
[how] a desire to
help … plays in
shaping their
research …"
"… [O]rganize a
group … to send
decision-makers
a common
message"
"… [Q]uestion
the credibility of
those who
disagree with a ...
consensus"
Strongly disagree (1) – Strongly agree (7)
Supplementary modeling shows that …
• Efficacy beliefs are the key
predictors of tactic willingness
• Ethical and normative beliefs
sometimes important predictors
• Demographics don’t really matter

16. Summary …
Canadian scientists …
• Want to engage
• Think colleagues want to engage
• See engagement as effective
• Face-to face better than protest
• Highest rated goals are policy related
• Open to a range of objectives and tactics
Canadian
Museum of Nature