Open Access to Field Research: Engaging the General Public and Dispelling Misconceptions

Egger, Anne E., 2005, AGU, 86(52), Fall Meet. Suppl., Abstract U11C-04
presented at the 2005 American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA

The general public holds many misconceptions about the geosciences. Often, people confuse geologists with archaeologists, or believe geoscience careers are limited to petroleum and/or mineral exploration. People in resource-rich areas may have had only negative experiences with geoscientists, where resource extraction has come at the expense of quality of life and property. These misconceptions and negative perceptions are serious threats that can result in uninformed and biased teaching of the geosciences. 

To address these threats, the true nature and relevance of the geosciences need to be communicated to students and the general public whenever possible. Field work, an essential component of geoscience research and education, offers an ideal opportunity for such communication by bringing researchers and students in direct contact with private citizens and local agencies. By providing open access to field research, a meaningful outreach opportunity can be seamlessly integrated into a research program. Encouraging all students and the general public to participate in field-based research activities can promote understanding of the scientific process, the nature of the geosciences, and the importance of scientific research to a wide variety of audiences, dispelling misconceptions.

For a field project conducted in the Warner Range of northeastern California, we initially had two goals: to corroborate an NSF-funded seismic experiment with surface geologic mapping, and to offer a research opportunity for undergraduates. The nature of a seismic experiment necessitates extensive communication with local citizens and agencies. This logistical communication soon led us to add more goals to the project: to conduct outreach activities in the small, rural communities in and around the field area and to collaborate with the many researchers from multiple institutions and government agencies with projects in the region. These outreach and collaboration efforts have now become essential components of the field work and have led us to continue and expand the research goals of the project as well.

Throughout the project, we took steps to ensure that misconceptions were minimized. These included school presentations, public presentation of data from the seismic experiment, and sharing of mapping and data with local agencies and other researchers. In addition, we invited local landowners, reporters, and representatives from local agencies to spend time in the field with us – and many did. The Warner Range lies in a volcanically and seismically active region with numerous hot springs and geothermal energy resources under development. We found that locals wanted to know more about their surroundings, and in addition to providing specific information about our research in the region, we were very successful in educating many people about the nature of scientific research and the geosciences in general.

Field work provides an unequaled opportunity for outreach. A minimal investment of time reaps huge rewards in public perception of scientific research and the nature of geoscientists, and begins to mitigate the damage caused by misconceptions and negative experiences. Additionally, outreach can feed back into the research goals of the project and expand opportunities for collaboration and cross-disciplinary studies. This synergy between research and education must be highlighted and encouraged if we wish to reduce threats to the teaching of the geosciences.