A Call for More Rigor in Science and Health Communication

Successful dissemination of scientific knowledge relies on the ability of the writer, speaker, and designer to provide information and data that is both available and accessible to the audience for whom it is intended. Scientific rigor, uniformly applied to the development of medicines, products, and devices must be applied, as well, to communications—spoken, written, posted, or displayed. Rigorous development and design protocols call for formative research data gathering, careful pilot testing with members of the intended audience, needed revisions, and rigorous assessments. Guidelines and tools developed for health literacy applications can be adopted and adapted for environmental health research and educational efforts in the design of questionnaires, instructions, education and report back materials, as well as for public discourse.