Promoting Science In Nigeria: Invitation for Contributions
16 January 2018
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Editor
Science Communication Hub Nigeria (SciComNigeria) invites science enthusiasts to submit good non-academic articles and stories in all areas of science, from Physical, Earth and Life Sciences, to areas of Social Sciences. Recently launched, SciComNigeria is a not-for-profit forum, comprised of scientists, from graduate students to professors, who aim to create a platform for the exchange of scientific ideas. This we hope would help in enhancing public understanding of science and therefore spark positive discussion about its relevance to our lives and society. Alongside, we hope to instill science interests in students and inspire a future generation of talented Nigerian/African scientists.
We are passionate about enhancing the visibility of science, research conducted within Nigeria and Africa, promoting science discourse driven by scientists which could help in informing policy. We believe that the low-level participation of scientists in such discussion contributes to the prevalence of religious and cultural misconceptions about science in several societies. Therefore, we call for articles aimed at a non-specialist audience, that would be readable and useful to all readers, scientists and non-scientists. We are particularly interested in three categories of articles; 1) Science Stories 2) Opinion Articles and 3) Mentoring Articles.
Science Stories
These could be stories by aspiring, emerging or established scientists; their connection to science, such as first exposure to science and passion developed afterward. It could be about why one wants to become a scientist, how science heroes contributed to that and dreams he has in science. Alternatively, this could be a story about challenges and sacrifice for science or how one was able to excel despite his background, such as childhood background. Stories could also be from non-scientists focusing on how science impacted on their lives and/or communities.
Opinion Articles
Articles in this category should aim to educate the public about interesting scientific concepts, discoveries or ideas especially those relevant to Nigeria or Africa. This could be an article about one’s area of specialisation, its relevance to lives or society. It can be about the importance of scientific research and its policy implications or dispelling misconceptions about science. Non-scientists with interest in science can also write about their expectations from scientists or touch on topics that would promote public discussion or science policies.
Mentoring articles
Articles in this category are meant to provide readers with guidance, from young primary or secondary school students to university level students or even PhDs and Postdocs. Authors should put this in the form of an enjoyable story but yet have in it tips for young students/scientists. This could be about why students should study science and how? It could be about the different career paths in science, marrying science with other disciplines. It could be about that scholarship you secured, how many times you had to apply, the challenges faced along the way. It could be about how you eventually published that exciting paper or how to apply for a competitive scholarly programme, write an essay or a powerful personal statement. Articles in this category are entirely up to the author’s story and whether the person thinks it would guide younger colleagues. The emphasis should be on the lessons from the story.
Prospective authors should visit the submit section of scicomnigeria.org for further guidance and email address of the editor. We look forward to all your exciting articles.