How-tos ScienTIST advocacy Toolkit

The document provides a toolkit for scientists to use public events, such as town halls, to influence policymakers. It recommends preparing concise, concrete, and compelling questions, positioning oneself as a technical resource to staff, and following up through thank-you notes or local media to maintain pressure and build connections.

• Scientists can use public forums and town hall meetings to bring attention to issues and force policymakers to put their positions on the record by asking questions that require immediate responses.
• Effective engagement requires preparing a question or comment based on the "three Cs": concise, concrete, and compelling. The goal is to pique interest rather than provide exhaustive information.
• A powerful public comment should include a self-introduction as a constituent and expert, an explanation of why the issue matters to the local community, and a specific "ask" regarding the legislator's desired action or stance.
• Post-event follow-up is critical and can include sending thank-you notes, sharing fact sheets or technical report summaries, writing letters to local newspapers, or collaborating with other local advocates.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2018). How-tos ScienTIST advocacy Toolkit. https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/05/ucs-SNTK-pubspeaking-5-18.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. How-tos ScienTIST advocacy Toolkit. 2018. https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/05/ucs-SNTK-pubspeaking-5-18.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=How-tos ScienTIST advocacy Toolkit |date=May 2018 |url=https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/05/ucs-SNTK-pubspeaking-5-18.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2018howtos, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{How-tos ScienTIST advocacy Toolkit}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2018}, month = may, url = {https://www.ucsusa.org/sites/default/files/attach/2018/05/ucs-SNTK-pubspeaking-5-18.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }