“Podcasts Are a Method of Science Communication”

Podcasting OHP Science 

SOHP Science Networking Event Session Summary 

Blog post by Courtney Keim

SOHP’s Scientific Affairs committee hosted a series of virtual Science Networking Events in Fall 2022 that brought together researchers to discuss a variety of occupational health psychology topics with networking opportunities. This blog summarizes highlights from the following event:

Listen to the Research- Podcasting OHP Science

Keaton Fletcher, Patricia Grabarek, & Katina Sawyer

October 11th, 2022

Event Introduction

There are other ways to keep up with OHP science beyond attending conferences and reading journals – even while driving in your car! Listening to OHP research on podcasts can be a fun way to increase your knowledge of important findings. This session focused on how participating in podcasts (or creating your own) can be a great way to hone your research translation skills. 

Our panelists included:

This session was hosted by Gloria González-Morales and Lacie Barber. Other Scientific Affairs committee members include Rebecca Brossoit, Katrina Burch, and Courtney Keim.

Discussion Highlights 

The transcript excerpts from below have been lightly edited for brevity or interpretation.

Importance of Podcasting in OHP

  • Keaton- I value podcasts as a method of science communication. As scientists, we do a lot of things that are inward focused, but podcasting is a low barrier to entry to have that outward focus and reach a lot of people. And there is space for OHP in the vast podcast world! 
  • Katina- Similarly, there is a dearth of focus on how we get what we do out, which can feel discouraging. There’s a lot of complications to get to research (e.g., paywalls to journals, training to be able to read them). Podcasting helps people to understand what we do as a field, why it’s important, and what they can do with the research.

Tips for participating or starting podcasts

  • Patricia- You can always be a guest on a podcast. You can email us to discuss if you are a good fit for our show! If you want to do your own podcast, it’s fairly easy and straightforward to get started. Think about what you want to share, what kind of message you want to send out, how frequently you want to post, and what platform you want to use.
  • Katina- Also consider being a guest on podcasts from other disciplines, like a health or medicine to talk about workplace health, or a nonprofit podcast to talk about meaning and purpose.
  • Patricia- There is so much podcasting content so people have to know how to find you. You have to effectively market yourself to the right audience and get to the people who actually care about your content.

Watch the Full Discussion

SOHP members can access the full session recording here. If you aren’t yet a member, please consider joining to access these recordings and other great SOHP membership benefits! Other topics the panelists discussed included:

  • How to cite podcast appearances on a CV
  • How to (not) talk about complicated statistical analyses when discussing journal articles
  • The personal and professional benefits of podcasting
  • Using podcasting to spotlight early career researchers
  • Whether aiming for NPR-quality audio is worth it
  • Upcoming episodes of their podcasts for us to look forward to

Dr. Courtney Keim is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Bellarmine University and Industrial & Organizational Psychologist with over 10 years of teaching and consulting experience. Her research focuses on organizational wellness and psychologically healthy workplace practices, personality, and pedagogical best practices. She has given numerous talks to national and local government agencies, businesses, and professional associations on best practices in workplace wellness. Dr. Keim has consulted with organizations including departments within Louisville Metro Government, Norton Behavioral Medicine, Maryhurst, and Lantech Corporation. Dr. Keim also teaches a variety of psychology courses, supervises psychology internships, advises student theses, and mentors students. She is the current  President of the Kentucky Psychological Foundation, where she leads initiatives in diversity, equity, and inclusion, psychologically healthy workplaces in Kentucky, student mentorship programs, and highlighting psychological research. She is also a Scientific Affairs Committee Member for the Society of Occupational Health Psychology. 

Contact information: akeim@bellarmine.edu | Twitter: @courtkeim | LinkedIn