Since 1985, the Science Circus program has recruited science graduates Australia-wide and provided them with science communication training leading to a university degree. On qualifying these graduates demonstrate highly diverse career paths reflecting the relevance of science communication training to other disciplines. Graduates, by their activities, have contributed to the growth of science communication as an academic discipline and an “industry”—both in Australia and abroad. It suggests that science communication training can have impact far beyond narrowly defined disciplines and skill sets, and this impact is worthy of further exploration.
BesleyJ. C.DudoA. D.YuanS.GhannamN. A. (2016). Qualitative interviews with science communication trainers about communication objectives and goals. Science Communication, 38, 356-381. doi:10.1177/1075547016645640
4.
BryantC. (2001). The anatomy of a science circus: The evolution of a graduate program in science communication. In StocklmayerS.GoreM. M.BryantC. (Eds.), Science communication in theory and practice (pp. 237-255). Dordrecht, Netherlands: Kluwer Academic.
5.
BryantC.GoreM. M. (1999). The evolution of a masters course in scientific communication: Some reflections on experience at the Australian National University. In SchieleB.KosterE. H. (Eds.), The revolution in science museums (pp. 141-158). Quebec City, Quebec, Canada: Multimondes.
6.
BryantC.GoreM. M.StocklmayerS. (2015a). The Australian Science Centre Movement 1980–2000: Part 1—Questacon, the National Science and Technology Centre. Historical Records of Australian Science, 26, 122-132. doi:10.1071/HR15008
7.
BryantC.GoreM. M.StocklmayerS. (2015b). The Australian Science Centre Movement 1980–2000: Part 2—Science centres in the states (Australia). Historical Records of Australian Science, 26, 133-149. doi:10.1071/HR15010
8.
DudoA.BesleyJ. C. (2016). Scientists’ prioritization of communication objectives for public engagement. PLoS ONE, 11(2), 1-18. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0148867
9.
DurantG.McKinnonM. (2016, September). Developing science communicators in Australia through a university-science centre-industry partnership: The Shell Questacon Science Circus. Paper presented at the Public Communication of Science and Technology Symposium: “Science Communication as a Profession: Formal Training, Responsibilities and Roles,”San Jose, Costa Rica.
LewensteinB. V. (2015). Identifying what matters: Science education, science communication and democracy. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 52, 253-262. doi:10.1002/tea.21201
14.
MellorF. (2013). Twenty years of teaching science communication: A case study of Imperial College’s Master’s programme. Public Understanding of Science, 22, 916-926. doi:10.1177/0963662513489386
15.
MetcalfeJ.GascoigneT. (2011). The evolution of science communication research in Australia. In SchieleB.ClaessensM.ShiS. (Eds.), Science communication in the world: Practices, theories and trends (pp. 19-32). Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.
16.
MikulakA. (2011). Mismatches between “scientific” and “non-scientific” ways of knowing and their contributions to public understanding of science. Integrative Psychological and Behavioral Science, 45, 201-215. doi:10.1007/s12124-011-9157-8
17.
MulderH. A. J.LongneckerN.DavisL. S. (2008). The state of science communication programs at universities around the world. Science Communication, 30(2), 277 - 287. doi:10.1177/1075547008324878
RifkinW.LongneckerN.LeachJ.DavisL.OrthiaL. (2009, October). Motivate students by having them publish in new media: An invitation to science lecturers to share and test. Paper presented at the UniServe Science Conference: “Motivating Science Undergraduates: Ideas and Interventions,”Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
TrenchB. (2012). Vital and vulnerable: Science communication as a university subject. In SchieleB.ClaessensM.ShiS. (Eds.), Science communication in the world: Practices, theories and trends (pp. 241-258). Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.
24.
TrenchB.BucchiM. (2010). Science communication, an emerging discipline. Journal of Science Communication, 9(3), C03.
WalkerG. J.StocklmayerS. M.GrantW. J. (2013). Science theatre: Changing South African students’ intended behaviour toward HIV AIDS. International Journal of Science Education, Part B, 3, 101-120. doi:10.1080/09500693.2011.633939
