San Raghubar, assistant professor of consumption and healthy lifestyles, wants to make the science clearer. One of her illustrations recently appeared in appetitea peer-reviewed scientific journal.
When Sunny Raghubar earned her PhD three years ago in the chair group where she now works, she designed her thesis herself. “One colleague was so passionate about this that she encouraged me to create an Instagram account for my illustrations and share them frequently on LinkedIn which I do. That was the start of my own company Dr. ArtSci,” Raghoebar says from the department’s living room in her collection of chairs. Since then, I have increasingly incorporated my passion for illustration into my work as a scientist. I want to make science accessible through illustrations.
People understand and remember information better if it is presented both textually and visually
San Raghubar, Assistant Professor of Consumption and Healthy Lifestyles
In the illustrated paper that appears in the peer-reviewed journal, she and her colleagues outline what is needed to get high school teens to make healthy, sustainable food choices. “We organized focus groups with experts in areas such as health, sustainability, education and nutrition. Experts told us that teenagers are not a homogeneous target group. We also wanted to pass this knowledge on to readers. This infographic (see illustration, editor) shows at a glance – much faster From the text – the target group is very diverse.
Creatively
“Science is a creative field, and we scientists can use our creativity to increase the accessibility of our research. Images can help enhance research methods, make research projects visible and recognizable, and communicate research findings in a fun and understandable way.”
“We know that people understand and remember information better when it is presented textually and visually. It is therefore more enjoyable to comprehend. Moreover, it is – in general – easier for people of lower socioeconomic status to understand if something is also explained in the pictures.
“Ultimately, as a researcher you want to have a scientific and social impact. For example, by combining questionnaires with supporting illustrations, you can take greater account of differences between people and make your research more accessible. In addition, scientific articles can be difficult for people to understand Who work in practice Through creativity – illustrations, videos, acting, presentation or photography, whatever works for you – we can try to reach more people and make science more applicable.
Influencers
“I think we can learn a lot from online influencers. Not everything they say is true, but the general public enjoys seeing their posts. The way they share their information: they have a broad reach and therefore can have a big impact. Scientists can do it too, but in Sometimes they have to be more creative.
