Scientists’ views about what they want to achieve through communication

What is it about?

This paper tries to understand why scientists might choose (or not choose) specific communication objectives related to informing, building trust, and framing. Objectives are understood as different than goals. Goals, in our view, are the ultimate behaviors that communicators want to achieve (e.g, tacit or explicit support, or change in health and environmental behaviors).

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Why is it important?

Scientists often default to thinking that communication is just about informing people but there are other communication objectives (e.g., perceived warmth, competence, and integrity) that can be achieved through communication. Achieving these objectives does not happen automatically. You need to make the choice to prioritize them and then do certain things (i.e., tactics) that make it more likely you'll achieve your objectives. Objectives should similarly be chosen based on both ethical considerations and one's desired goals.