Climate Arena 2024

What science says is often an integral part of climate and environmental stories. We use scientific work, data, statistics, lab results and listen to the scientists. But it can be a hard world to navigate and to really understand what an academic study says or if it’s entirely reliable. The world of scientific publishing can be chaotic.  

Journalists who are not specialised in science journalism could benefit from quick learning of specific skills this journalism niche requires.

This workshop will cover:

- What are the most common misinterpretations of scientific findings in the climate stories and what are the possible reasons? (With examples)
- How to find and recognise high-quality scientific research and best experts in a particular scientific field (scientific databases; problems with interpreting h-index and citation; distinguishing between Scopus, WoS and Google Scholar; what to do with pre-print results; avoiding predatory sources; how to get paywall research for free; other sources)
- Tips for better understanding any published research
- How to use published research to find investigative stories (with examples)
- How to use scientific research as an independent source of data