Give PEACE a chance

Posted on Thursday, 15 December 2016 by Richard Holliman

Professor Richard Holliman, The Open University. Credit: Michael Francis.

With apologies to John Lennon, PEACE in this instance refers to the Public Engagement: Attitudes, Culture and Ethos report, which has recently been published by STFC (the UK’s Science and Technology Facilities Council).

You can download a copy of the report from: Public Engagement: Attitudes, Culture and Ethos.

PEACE in our time
The PEACE report is timely. It is welcome because it reminds us of the considerable body of culture change work in engagement over a period of nearly ten years.

But it does much more than that. It also adds to this existing evidence-base, offering findings from newly-commissioned research that investigates engagement practices in the physical sciences, combining these findings with consultative work with the STFC research community, and expert advice.

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Been there, Dunedin that

Posted on Monday, 14 November 2016 by Richard Holliman

Professor Richard Holliman, The Open University. Credit: Michael Francis.

It has been a very productive couple of weeks in New Zealand. Thanks to my wonderful host Nancy Longnecker (and family) I’ve had a chance to explore the local environment. New Zealand is clearly a very beautiful place, interwoven with many cultures.

I’ve had opportunities to meet with staff and students from the Centre for Science Communication during my stay in Dunedin, and more widely from the University of Otago as we’ve explored aspects of culture change in relation to engaged research.

We have discussed aspects of New Zealand’s National Science Challenges, at a time when these islands and their citizens have been facing the very immediate challenge of responding to a series of earthquakes.

Collectively, these challenges require us, as science communicators, to re-double our efforts to create a reflective culture of evidence-based practices as we connect scientists, citizens and other stakeholders in ways that are meaningful and relevant.

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Supporting Engaged Research Leadership

Posted on Thursday, 10 November 2016 by Richard Holliman

Professor Richard Holliman, The Open University. Credit: Michael Francis.

In our final report to Research Councils UK on the Open University’s Public Engagement with Research Catalyst I argued that ‘engaged leadership’ could be described as a paradox (Holliman et al., 2015):

“Over the course of my career I’ve witnessed the emergence of engagement as a concept in search of a clear definition. A range of factors, including policy changes, technology, and the practices of engaged research, introduced the idea of the ‘dialogic turn’ (Davies, 2013) where ‘bottom up’ and contextual approaches have been championed as potential solutions to questions of trust, openness, transparency and democracy (Irwin, 2008).

What’s fairly consistent in these arguments, if not necessarily in the practical implementation of them, is that ‘top down’, imposed solutions are generally problematic and ultimately self-defeating. In this context it’s possible to argue that the concept of engaged leadership is a paradox.”
(Holliman et al., 2015, pp. 12-13)

You can read the report to see how I resolved my instincts for engagement with a need to direct and deliver change across a complex institution.

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Empowering lifelong citizenship

Posted on Wednesday, 26 October 2016 by Richard Holliman

Professor Richard Holliman, The Open University. Credit: Michael Francis.

In a recent post on the Guardian Science Policy blog I wrote, among other things, about the need for a vision for citizenship that moves science communication and engagement programmes beyond activities designed for ‘gifted and talented’ children and young people.

‘Cloned’ approaches to public engagement with research
In part, my concerns about this lack of diversity can be traced to research findings that showed how academics limit their framing of publics, purposes and processes when they plan their public engagement activities (Holliman and Jensen, 2009). My concerns were also born out of experience, working with teachers during my PhD research.

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Connecting Science and Society in New Zealand

Posted on Wednesday, 28 September 2016 by Richard Holliman

Professor Richard Holliman, The Open University. Credit: Michael Francis.

What is the role of publicly-funded researchers in the 21st Century? What are their responsibilities in relation to how their research relates to the stakeholders, end-users and members of the public who will be affected by the outcomes?

These are live questions for all researchers wishing to improve the quality of their research and its social and economic impact on wider society.

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Milton Keynes students are out of this world

Posted on Wednesday, 20 July 2016 by Richard Holliman

Professor Richard Holliman, The Open University. Credit: Michael Francis.

On Tuesday 12th July seven teams of Year 9 students from five local schools across Milton Keynes battled it out to win the fourth annual Water Rocket Competition.

Inspired by the OU/BBC co-production Rough Science, each team of six students was provided with the same kit. From this they were asked to design and build two water rockets, one to fly the furthest horizontal distance, the other to hit a target.

Guided by two OU postgraduate researchers from the School of Physical Sciences, Alice Dunford and Matthew Lewis, the students adapted their designs incrementally based on data collected from each test launch.

Alice Dunford and Matthew Lewis (The Open University) deliver the briefing to students and teachers. Credit: Gareth Davies.

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Are social media work?

Posted on Wednesday, 29 June 2016 by Richard Holliman

Professor Richard Holliman, The Open University. Credit: Jane Perrone.

Digital media are changing researchers’ roles and simultaneously providing a route for a more engaging relationship with stakeholders throughout the research process. But are they work?

Over the last couple of years I’ve been working with colleagues at the Open University (Ann Grand, now at the University of Western Australia, Trevor Collins and Anne Adams) to explore this issue and how it relates to questions of strategy, operational practices, training, support, and reward and recognition (Holliman et al., 2015).

In attempting to address the overarching question of whether social media are work, we recently published a paper arising from one aspect of a project exploring how university research and professional practices are evolving as researchers engage with stakeholders via digital media to create, share and represent knowledge together (Grand et al., 2016).

In that paper we review the extent to which they are developing multiple identities and functions in their engaged research through digital media. You can access the paper from the following link:

“We muddle our way through”: shared and distributed expertise in digital engagement with research

The title of the paper, “We muddle our way through”

“We muddle our way through” (Grand et al., 2016)

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What have science communication (and engagement) ever done for us?

Posted on Tuesday, 10 May 2016 by Richard Holliman

Professor Richard Holliman, The Open University. Credit: Jane Perrone.

“What have the Romans ever done for us?” John Cleese’s famous line from Monty Python’s Life of Brian is a question that has resonated with me over the last couple of weeks.

Back came the answer, “The aqueduct.”

“Oh, yeah, yeah. They did give us that.”

“And there’s sanitation…”

You get the picture.

Why, you may ask, is Monty Python featuring on the Open University’s Engaging Research blog? You can thank the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology. They recently called for evidence to be submitted to an inquiry into science communication. In effect, they asked “What has science communication ever done for us?”

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Border crossings in science communication and engagement

Posted on Sunday, 1 May 2016 by Richard Holliman

Professor Richard Holliman, The Open University. Credit: Jane Perrone.

I’ve just returned from the Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) Conference in Istanbul, Turkey. It was, in almost every sense of the term, a most extraordinary event, organised with courage, solidarity and warm hospitality in the face of a devastating refugee crisis and political unrest.

The spirit of the conference was captured beautifully by the PCST President Brian Trench at the start of the event. “Let’s talk, let’s laugh, let’s listen”, and we did.

If you haven’t seen Brian’s opening address, you can find the text here (Opening Address).

The 15th International PCST Conference, University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand

And if you think this is for you, start saving your [insert name of currency here] and come along to the 15th International PCST Conference in April 2018.

The PCST community will meet again at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand; #hugahobbit

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Supporting researchers in public engagement

Posted on Tuesday, 26 April 2016 by Richard Holliman

Professor Richard Holliman, The Open University. Credit: Jane Perrone.

On Monday morning I set off at an obscenely early hour for the PCST Conference in Istanbul, Turkey. As ever, this was an opportunity to catch up with old friends, make new ones, and share learning in science communication and engagement.

But why leave home in the middle of the night? My early start was down to an invitation to run a workshop for postgraduate and early career researchers.

Due to unforeseen travel disruptions I didn’t make it on time. I’m therefore writing this post for anyone who missed the session.

The post includes an overview of the workshop I’d planned with links to a set of resources that can be used as a self-reflection activity to assess and evidence your skills and competencies in public engagement.

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Engaging Research

An Open Research University: Embedding public engagement within the research culture of the OU

Author Archives: Richard Holliman

Give PEACE a chance

Been there, Dunedin that

Supporting Engaged Research Leadership

Empowering lifelong citizenship

Connecting Science and Society in New Zealand

Milton Keynes students are out of this world

What have science communication (and engagement) ever done for us?

Border crossings in science communication and engagement

Supporting researchers in public engagement