#scicom instructions!

(adopted from Dr. Suzanne Gray, Assistant Professor, School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University)

Objective:

Scientific communication, providing outreach and engagement with the public, is essential to the understanding and appreciation for our forests, fisheries, and wildlife. Increasingly, scientific communication (#scicomm) is facilitated through social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, personal or lab blogs, etc. The goal of this assignment is for students to use multimedia formats to present a story about Forestry, Fisheries, or Wildlife that is accessible to the public and relevant for the people of Ohio. These can take the form of written blogs, sound clips, videos, animations, etc. Each student is required to create one post to the class website (https://u.osu.edu/enr3300summer2018/). Students are encouraged to direct the public to their posts via social media. Posts will be graded based on accuracy of content and accessibility to a diverse audience. If a student posts an additional time (i.e., two times), the second post will be considered for bonus points (Details on #SciComm Instructions sheet). All posts, including those submitted for possible bonus points, must be submitted by 11:59p on Friday, June 22.

Content:
You can create a post on any topic relevant to Forestry, Fisheries, and Wildlife, with an emphasis on Ohio FFW or topics that would be relevant for Ohioans. Your post could also focus on an environmental issue or human activities that directly impact FFW; however, it must be made clear how any particular issue relates to forests, fish, and/or wildlife (whatever theme you choose). Any articles or sources used to create your post must be referenced. If you are unsure if a topic is relevant feel free to ask!

Format:
One of the keys to successful scientific communication for a public audience is to be creative and to present the facts in an engaging manner. This means you can be creative with your posts! A traditional blog post (i.e. a written description of an idea or issue) accompanied by images or simple diagrams can be a very effective means of communicating science to a broad audience. Other formats, such as videos or podcasts are also very popular. Whatever format you choose, it
is pertinent that the facts you present are correct and that you provide a list of the references used to support your post. Note that images and diagrams are often copy-righted and must be accompanied by a citation or attribution to the original author or creator. Posts will not be published until all diagrams, images, etc. have been given appropriate attribution.

Posting Instructions:

  1. Go to https://u.osu.edu/
  2. Login with your OSU name.# and password.
  3. EMAIL WINSLOW.52@OSU.EDU SO THAT YOU CAN BE ADDED TO THE SITE! (you must log on to u.osu.edu before I can do this)
  4. Once I (Kim) has added you as an approved use: From the “My Sites” tab in the top left corner choose “FFW #scicomm”. This should take you to the site’s Dashboard.
  5. From the tool bar on the left, select “Posts” –> “Add new”
  6. Enter a title for you post.
  7. If you are using multi-media (podcast, video, images, graphics) you will need to upload it using the “Add media” tab. This takes you to a new page called “Insert media”
    • Select the “Upload files” tab and drag & drop or browse for your files
    • Once your files upload, got to the “Media Library” tab and select the file to be inserted (i.e. it will have a check mark in upper right corner when selected)
    • In the bar on the right, you can include a caption. Then hit “Insert Into Post”. You will be returned to the main “Add Post” page and your image/file will appear.
  8. Copy and paste or type in any text associated with your post.
  9. On the right you can save your work as a draft, “Save Draft” and “Preview” what you post will look like on the website.
  10. Once you are finished make sure you save the draft. DO NOT PUBLISH YOUR POST UNTIL IT HAS BEEN APPROVED!
  11. Email me (Kim Winslow; winslow.52@osu.edu) to let me know you have completed a post. Once your post is reviewed it
    will be published (i.e. will be in the public domain).

Have fun!

Kim