Hristov Nickolay, Strohecker Carol, Allen Louise, Merson Martha
Center for Design Innovation, 450 Design Avenue, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, USA.
Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, NC 27110, USA.
Integr Comp Biol. 2018 Jul 1;58(1):113-126. doi: 10.1093/icb/icy033.
With the acceleration and increasing complexity of macro-scale problems such as climate change, the need for scientists to ensure that their work is understood has become urgent. As citizens and recipients of public funds for research, scientists have an obligation to communicate their findings in ways many people can understand. However, developing translations that are broadly accessible without being "dumbed down" can be challenging. Fortunately, tenets of visual literacy, combined with narrative methods, can help to convey scientific knowledge with fidelity, while sustaining viewers' interest. Here we outline strategies for such translating, with an emphasis on visual approaches. Among the examples is an innovative, National Science Foundation-funded professional development initiative in which National Park rangers use scientists' imagery to create compelling explanations for the visiting public. Thoughtful visualizations based on interpretive images, motion pictures, 3D animations and augmented, immersive experiences complement the impact of the natural resource and enhance the role of the park ranger. The visualizations become scaffolds for participatory exchanges in which the ranger transcends the traditional roles of information-holder and presenter, to facilitate provocative conversations that provide members of the public with enjoyable experiences and well-founded bases for reflection and ultimately understanding. The process of generating the supporting visualizations benefits from partnerships with design professionals, who develop opportunities for engaging the public by translating important scientific findings and messages in compelling and memorable ways.
随着气候变化等宏观问题的加速发展及其复杂性的不断增加，科学家确保其研究成果被理解的需求变得迫在眉睫。作为公民以及研究公共资金的接受者，科学家有义务以许多人能够理解的方式来交流他们的发现。然而，开发出既广泛易懂又不“简化”的翻译可能具有挑战性。幸运的是，视觉素养原则与叙事方法相结合，有助于准确地传达科学知识，同时保持观众的兴趣。在此，我们概述此类翻译的策略，重点是视觉方法。其中的例子包括一项由美国国家科学基金会资助的创新型专业发展计划，在该计划中，国家公园护林员利用科学家的图像为来访公众创造引人入胜的解释。基于解释性图像、电影、3D动画以及增强现实、沉浸式体验的精心可视化，补充了自然资源的影响力，并提升了公园护林员的作用。这些可视化成为参与式交流的支架，在此过程中，护林员超越了信息持有者和展示者的传统角色，促进引发思考的对话，为公众提供愉快的体验以及有充分依据的反思基础，最终实现理解。生成辅助可视化的过程受益于与设计专业人员的合作，他们通过以引人入胜且令人难忘的方式翻译重要的科学发现和信息，为公众参与创造机会。
