Communication

• For all matters regarding the media please contact Marta Daniela Santos
  It is important for us to identify potential outlets for promoting our research and to keep track of what is going on in the media that can be related to ITQB NOVA.
• Always communicate press contacts in advance
  This is especially important if there is photographing or filming involved.
• Have clear rules in the lab on who can talk to reporters
  And instruct your team on what to do if they ever get contacted. While it is important that only a few people have a voice don’t make things so difficult that a reporter can never (or very hardly) talk to someone about your work.
• The first contact is usually done by phone
  Take this opportunity to ask for all the details – what is the story about, will yours be the only research presented, who is the intended audience, will they need any pictures you can provide, will there be any picture taking or recording involved (the same day as the interview or different days), …
  When making an appointment ask for the reporter’s name and contacts (you may need to re-schedule).
• Think beforehand on what you want to say
  It helps to write topics down. Think about the key issues in your research project, think how it touches the life of others, think about analogies that better convey the science at hand – in a nutshell try to think how you would explain your research to your non-scientist friends.
  Consider preparing some information to hand out to the reporter. This can help the reporter later on and can also be useful for spelling purposes, but don’t give a pile of scientific papers – they won’t be read!
• When the reporter comes to the lab have things ready
  Think about what kind of things would be nice to photograph or film and have them ready. Remember that what may seem trivial to you can be impressive for non-scientists (but some reporters are tired of liquid nitrogen). Think about the image you want to convey – e.g. Do you want to show an empty lab or tell the group to be ready? Is it important that people appear wearing lab coats, gloves or safety glasses or is it ok to have a picture of a researcher holding a pipette barehanded?
• Make sure you have acknowledged everybody who should be
  Do not provide a long list of names and affiliations because these are unlikely to appear in the news piece but stress if there are collaborators, funding agencies or other entities that you really want to see mentioned.
  Ask the reporter to clearly refer your tie to ITQB NOVA.
• If there is something you don’t want to talk about, don’t talk about it
  Even when there is no intention to deceive, something said off the record can end up appearing on print
• Be careful not to fuel sensationalism
  Do not overstate your findings. When trying to show the importance of your research make clear what you have found, what has been done by others and how far you are from the big goal. But do show the importance of your work.
• Sometimes the whole interview is done by phone
  Ask a few questions to know what is needed. Then ask the reporter to call you back five or ten minutes later so that you can gather your thoughts and think about what you really want to say. Reporters usually have tight deadlines so saying you can talk next week will not do.
• Be available to give your insight on groundbreaking research done by others
  But do not hesitate to say no if you are not familiar with the subject. If possible indicate somebody else.
• Keep a record of the news piece and provide a copy to ITQB NOVA
  Help us keep track of your contribution for promoting science and enrich our archive.
• Ask for help and advice
  If you need to discuss any issues on handling media contacts remember that ITQB NOVA has a communication and image office.
• How to reach us 
  room 3.01 (3rd floor)
  by phone  ext. 1315 (21 4469315)
  by e-mail marta.santos@itqb.unl.pt

If you have a paper that has been or is soon to be accepted for publication and wish to promote it amongst a wider audience, please fill in this form.

The Communication Office will carefully review the information you provide and determine the best way to promote your work (featuring it as a highlight on our website and/or social media, issuing a press release or other). It’s important to acknowledge that the communication strategy and potential outcomes will depend on timing and context; not all papers are suitable for or will be picked up by the media. 

Please notify the Communication Office as soon as possible, ideally upon acceptance and at least 1 month before publication, and keep in close contact with us. Let us know of any embargo policies and put us in contact with the journal’s press office.

This form is the first step to adapt your paper and extracting the most crucial information from it. Keep it simple and provide us with the details you want to highlight, avoiding jargon and unnecessary scientific terms. Even a highlight in the ITQB NOVA website is aimed for a much wider audience than the original paper: students, teachers, researchers from other areas, journalists, policy makers etc.

Highlights or press releases based on this form will go through you before being published or sent to the media.

If you’d like to be involved in the outreach activities organized by the Communication Office, please fill in this form. 

Outreach activities are a great way to showcase your research and publicize your projects, improving communication skills, and taking your science to a broader audience. These activities benefit not only society, by increasing scientific literacy and understanding, but also the scientific community, by fostering support, trust, and collaboration with the broader public while inspiring minds and getting a new perspective on your science.