Elevate your work through incorporation of public engagement

Across disciplines, scientists are changing how they interact with the public and are increasingly aware of the benefits to be gained by all parties from sincere public engagement. Rather than a 1-way flow of information from scientists to the public, public engagement with science focuses on a 2-way conversation among scientists and stakeholders to better inform research questions, understand scientific findings, and make positive change. However, despite its benefits, participating in public engagement may present challenges for scientists because of institutional and personal barriers, including lack of training, time, funding, and perceived value. Based on the literature and a survey of Society for Freshwater Science members, we describe barriers to public engagement and strategies for how these barriers can be overcome, such as increasing support for public engagement by employers and integrating public engagement training programs into curricula and professional development programs. This paper, along with the following series of papers, provides a guide for aquatic scientists to enhance their public engagement experiences and improve the quality of their research through public engagement with science.