Written by Jacob Liu | Edited by Kaelyn Kwon
Photo by Polina Tankilevitch
For many people, the idea of jumping into a research lab meeting and keeping up with the scientific jargon and complex figures thrown around is enough to make heads spin. Among those interested in science, this type of meeting is affectionately known as a journal club, where researchers and scientists-in-training meet to review and evaluate published literature in their field of study. By challenging trainees to think critically about and keep up with recent developments in specific fields of interest, one of the main goals of conducting journal clubs is to improve scientific literacy [1]. Scientific literacy is the possession, evaluation, and application of scientific knowledge to make claims, which is often answered with scientific inquiry. While scientific literacy is important in training students and researchers, scientific literacy also assists with the general public’s understanding of research.
In STEM education, scientific literacy goes hand in hand with trainees’ abilities to peer review the work of fellow scientists. According to scientific studies of programs similar to journal clubs, students at all levels of training can evaluate their peers’ manuscripts, provide constructive feedback, and foster growth in their work by having a foundational knowledge of their particular fields of study. In addition to developing students’ perception of themselves as emerging scientists, peer review experiences also improve individuals’ scientific literacy by challenging their writing skills [2]. Integrating mentorship in scientific writing also fosters improvement in scientific literacy through the experiential learning process, a method of hands-on active learning [1]. As a result of participating in scientific writing and review, students gain experience and insight into the field of research by improving their scientific literacy through practice of application.
While scientific literacy is important in the publication of research, its improvement is integral for readers’ ability to distinguish integrous scientific practices from inaccuracies. With the profound availability of knowledge and increased rates of dissemination in the digital age, Generations Z and Alpha struggle to obtain factually accurate information amidst an abundance of sensational science [3]. Ongoing research into the complexities of misinformation has continually found value in scientific literacy when it acts as a bridge between the public understanding and nuances of scientific discovery [4]. By guiding responsible scientists to reproduce reliable information, scientific literacy can be a powerful tool for scientists-in-training and enable a more positive perception of reputable research. In turn, this can bolster the general population’s understanding of scientific findings, especially with modern science existing more nebulously in the realms of probability and statistics [5].
As the world continually changes with new methods of spreading information, the fundamental concepts of improving scientific literacy remain relevant for combating rampant misinformation. Scientists can be better equipped to bridge the gap between the scientific community and the general public with the continuation of research, improvement of outreach, and education of scientific literacy.
References:
1. Bello, J.O., Grant, P. (2023). A systematic review of the effectiveness of journal clubs in undergraduate medicine. Canadian Medical Education Journal, 14(4):35-46.
2. Otto, J.L., McDowell, G.S., Balgopal, M.M., Lijek, R.S. (2023). Preprint Peer Review Enhances Undergraduate Biology Students’ Disciplinary Literacy and Sense of Belonging in STEM. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 24(2):e00053-23.
3. Gerbina, T.V. (2021). Science Disinformation: On the Problem of Fake News. Scientific and Technical Information Processing, 48(4):290-298.
4. Schneegans, Susan, Nair-Bedoulle, Shamila. “Scientific literacy: an imperative for a complex world.” UNESCO Science Report, United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, 2021, unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000377448. Accessed 24 April 2024.
5. Osborne, Jonathan, Pimentel, Daniel, Alberts, Bruce, Allchin, Douglas, Barzilai, Sarit, Bergstrom, Carl, Coffey, Janet, Donovan, Brian, Kivinen, Kari, Kozyreva. Anastasia, Wineburg, Saul, Wineburg, Sam. “Science Education in an Age of Misinformation.” Stanford, Stanford University, 2022, sciedandmisinfo.sites.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj25316/files/media/file/science_education_in_an_age_of_misinformation.pdf. Accessed 23 April 2024.