Understanding science bloggers’ view and approach to strategic communication

ABSTRACT Science communicators who explicitly seek to achieve specific outcomes and goals efficiently and effectively are engaged in strategic science communication. The current study used qualitative interviews to explore how science bloggers view and practice strategic science communication. Interviews with 20 science bloggers who cover various scientific topics suggest that many science bloggers actively apply a range of techniques in their writing but vary in the degree to which they are strategic in using these techniques to try to achieve specific communication outcomes. The findings highlight the value of science blogs in terms of their potential to have a collective and cumulative impact on audiences and provide a window to the future development of online science communication, particularly in areas of objective setting.