THE NEED FOR HARMONIC HORN TOOTING A NASA Earth Sciences Outreach Assessment by Kendall Haven Author

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THE NEED FOR HARMONIC HORN TOOTINGA NASA Earth
Sciences OutreachAssessmentbyKendall
HavenAuthor/Master Storyteller1155 Hart
LaneFulton, CA 95439www.KendallHaven.comKendal
lHaven_at_sbcglobal.net
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Need The NASA Earth Science Outreach message
points are not being heard. They are worthy
and important. Revise outreach oversight,
management, production, and coordination to
ensure that the message is heard.
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Harmonic Too many voices write and speak
under the NASA Earth Sciences banner. The
result is cacophonynoise. It produces
confusion. There is a need for a symphony
director to enforce some harmony in the
individual voices.
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Horn Tooting You dont toot your own horn en
ough. NASA Earth Science Outreach writers are
far too modest and understated.
Become advocates for your message.
Make sure the world not only hears, but
understands how good and how unique that work is.
Show off. You have plenty to show off about.

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The Central ThesisA Need for Harmonic Horn
Tooting
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A Word on OUTREACH Many thinkThe Mission
is the message.Information message.
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NO!!!Outreach requires the commitment to a
goal, what you want to accomplish with those
messages.No nonfiction writing effort will
succeed if its only goal is to provide
information, to inform.
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Wrong What do I want to say? (the scientists
perspective) Right How will this make a
difference, a change, in the readers
life?Work that produces no change is wasted.
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Intermediate Questions 1. What can you promise
the reader in this writing (besides just
information)? 2. How will you get the reader
to personally invest? What do you want the
reader to do? 3. How will you create suitable
context for the reader to create meaning? How
will you make it relevant to the reader? 4.
What do you want the reader to take away from
this story and how do you want them to
internalize that take-away content?
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An effective Outreach writeraccepts
responsibilitybothfor the informationandfor
the reader.
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MY ASSIGNED TARGET AUDIENCE Informal
EducationIncludes science interested public,
science attentive public, amateur scientists,
after school programs and community-based
programs, museums, and science centers/groups/club
s.
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Informal Education includesThose seeking
science DATA. Those seeking INFORMATION.
Those seeking ACTIVITY.
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Characteristics of their searches For
personal satisfaction. Check own files first.
Go straight to Google. Few check more than 6
sites. Turn next to published print (books and
periodicals). Long-term research through
personal contacts.
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SEARCH PLANIn accordance with this profile, I
decided to 1st Search on-line for 15 topics
of science interest. 2nd Search on-line
through NASA Earth Science outreach sites and
products. 3rd Search off-line through popular
science journals (Discover, Scientific
American, Smithsonian, Science, and Nature)
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My 15 Search Topics Global Carbon Cycle
Global Warming Global Carbon Dioxide/Carbon
Monoxide Pollution Atmospheric Pollution
Forest Burning Atmospheric Ozone Depletion
Deforestation Global Aerosol Emissions
Global Water Cycle Human Contribution to
Global Warming Changes in Oceanic Ice and
Glaciers Heat Budget for Oceans Global Land
Use Changes Earths Energy Budget Ocean
Surface Temp.
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My three NASA search wordings NASA Earth
Science NASA Earth Sciences Earth Science

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Major Evaluation Questions.1. Do I readily find
NASA Earth Science Outreach Products (ESOPs)
when I search?2. Do I recognize that it is NASA
Earth Science data I am finding?3. Do the NASA
Earth Science Outreach Products I find accomplish
the NASA Earth Science outreach mission?
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Do I readily find NASA ESOPs when I search?A.
Are they prominent in the results I find?B. Do
they provide the data/information I seek? Do they
answer my questions?
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2. Do I recognize that it is NASA Earth Science
data I am finding?A. Am I guided to other
ESOPs outreach products? Do they lead me to
additional Earth Science info and data?B. Are
NASA supported ESOPs clearly marked as NASA
supported/written?
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3. Do the NASA ESOPs accomplish their
mission?A. Clearly and consistently promote
Outreach messages?B.Make me realize I depend
upon NASA Earth Science?C. Do ESOPs stimulate
my curiosity and excitement?D. Explain why Earth
Science is an important part of NASA?E. Lead me
to other ESOPs and to an understanding of NASA
Earth Science directorate?F. Is there apparent
coordination (harmony) between ESOPs?G. Do I
detect feedback/assessment mechanisms?H. Is the
target audience for individual ESOPs clear and
appropriate?I. Are ESOPs compelling?
Well-written? Will they captivate the intended
audience and support the Outreach mission?
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FINDINGS AND OBSERVATIONS1. We ordinary
citizens dont understand NASAs structure. Its
complex and convoluted.2. I was amazed by the
amount of, quality of, and variety of,
information I found when I examined NASA sites
(particularly the Earth Observatory).
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3. NASA Earth Science Outreach information is
excellent but the writing of these products
typically doesnt make me appreciate, or become
excited by, the critical roll of NASA in its
preparation. The science is better and more
consistent than the writing.4. The total
number of NASA sites I found in this search
represented less than 2 of the total. (Both too
small and often the wrong sites.)5. EO showed
up eight times in my searches, but at an average
listing rank of 29.
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6. Current NASA work is badly under-represented
in on-line search results.7. I found too many
out of date NASA pieces in this search.8.
14,400 sites list themselves under NASA Earth
Sciences. Way too many.
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9. I found no pattern, no consistency, no
hierarchy to the order of NASA site
listings.10. Far too many of the top 30 listed
NASA sites appear to be independent.11. The
major NASA Earth Science sites (EO especially)
carry a mountain of information. It quickly
becomes intimidating, even overwhelming.
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12. Coordination between sites is spotty at
best.13. There appears to be no central NASA
Earth Science site that others all link to and
refer to. But there needs to be.14. Too many of
the sites tried to reach all audiences with
single articles.15. I did not detect any
mechanism (feedback loop, detailed visitor
tracking, etc.) to test the effectiveness of each
listed piece on the target audiences and revise
accordingly.Active feedback is essential to
successful outreach.
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16. NASA Earth Science sites I
examinedDESTINATION EARTH. SCIENCE_at_ NASA.
VISIBLE EARTH. EARTH OBSERVING SYSTEM. EARTH
OBSERVATORY. Earth (System) Science Data
Services Directory, Goddard Earth Sciences Data
And Information Services Center, NASA Earth
Sciences Division, NASA Sciences Directorate,
NASA Earth Sciences Enterprise, The Committee
For Education And Pubic Outreach, The Earth
Science Educator, Earth-Sun Technology Office,
Federation Of Earth Science Information Partners,
Earth-Sun Exploration Division.
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17. Earth Observatory
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18. Magazine writers were often far more
complementary to NASA Earth Sciences and
seemingly more excited about the success of and
importance of NASA spaced-based data than were
in-house NASA writers.
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19. OBSERVATIONS ON NASA SCIENCE OUTREACH
WRITING. Read like topical fact sheets (that
could be text book or science encyclopedia
entries) Combined with press-release style
presentation of information. None of the seven
focused on the scientists and on their process
(goals, hopes, problems, struggles, challenges,
etc.). Few create reader-oriented context and
relevance for their information and data
presentations. Virtually all under-emphasize
the centrality and glorious wonder of NASA
space-based data collection and satellite data
sets to earth science work. On average, these
articles reached NASA scientists and space-based
data sets on page three of the typically 4- or
5-page format.
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The style of presentation in these seven
articles does not support the core Outreach
Message Points or Outreach Mission I discussed
earlier.
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Memory, recall, and subsequent action require
Personal relevance for the information (The
receiver must understand how the new information
is and will be relevant to them and to their
lives.) Informational context within the
framework of the readers existing experience,
Emotional context. Research confirms that it is
unlikely that new information will have meaning
for a reader without these elements.
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Outreach writer must assume the burden of helping
to create context and relevance so that their
information will have meaning for the target
reader and will create change.
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The universality of human struggle. Characters
struggle to overcome obstacles in pursuit of
important goals.Places new information within a
framework of character struggle (risks, dangers,
potential, and significance).
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Successful nonfiction writingSet the
scene.Create the need (whats at
risk?).Introduce the NASA scientist and create a
goal.Introduce major obstacles.Pick up
background information (if essential).Present
temporal chronology leading to the development
that spurred this article.
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Put a face on it.Create context and relevance
through human struggle. Focus on actual people
doing real and important work that leads to vital
advances that make a real difference in the
readers life.
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20. Childrens site What On Earth? For Kids
Only.Read like articles written for an adult,
general-public audience.Bring in writers who
understand childrens mental processes and write
to their understanding.
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RECOMMENDATIONS
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1. ON-LINE FOCUS. Consider on-line site(s) as
your primary outreach vehicles.2. EARTH SCIENCE
HOME SITE(S). Designate one site as the Home
NASA Earth Sciences outreach site. Guide
readers from any entry point as directly as
possible to a central point where they will have
the best overviews and access to the full breadth
and depth of NASA Earth Science material.
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3. TOP LISTING. Ensure that Earth Observatory
(and/or other prime NASA Earth Science outreach
sites) shows up in top ten hits on topics of
central interest to NASA Earth Sciences.4.
ORGANIZATIONAL ROADMAP. Create a descriptive
Roadmap of NASA Earth Science organizations,
and physical sites.5. REGULAR WEEDING. Develop
a policy and mechanism/methodology to update or
remove outdated pieces.
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6. EARTH OBSERVATORY. Earth Observatory is
quite possibly the NASA Earth Sciences Outreach
home site. I recommend a revised hierarchical
organization to Make it more user friendly
Accommodate needs of a variety of users.
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Five kinds of information Background, Overview,
Human activity (the story), New results and
findings, Available data sets and their
application.Emphasizes your outreach message
points. Tiers of Outreach
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At the Site Level 1. A one to two paragraph
overview of NASAs role in Earth Science. 2.
NASA Earth Sciences organizational roadmap 3. A
quick whats here statement. 4. Direct,
descriptive links to four target audience
specific home sites (education, childrens,
media, and decision makers). 5. Breakouts for
Missions, News, Data Images, and Features are
also appropriate. 6. Reference needs
rethinking and revision. 7. Experiments section
is better suited for Educational or Childrens
Site.
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The Features part of EO is now organized
intosix main categoriesatmosphere, land,
oceans, life, remote sensing, and heat and
energy. Use four geographical realms
(atmosphere, land, oceans, and global) or from
broad-brush major topics of concern that are
appropriate to the site content (including heat
budget and remote sensing).
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For each subdivision An overview paragraph
to create context Add one more level or
organization to accommodate an ever- expanding
variety of users and number of article entries.
Shift historical reviews, fact sheets, and
background material to Reference Feature
articles focus on descriptions of important
recent developments and NASA scientists and
NASA data. Toot the NASA horn, loud and long.
Make readers impressed by the Herculean efforts
of your scientists and of the importance of their
work. Write passion!
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Link each feature to Earth images that
demonstrate or expand on article concepts.
Specific data sets. The appropriate mission.
All published NASA Earth Science technical
articles (in any form or venue) on that topic.
Descriptions of on-going or planned work.
Reference articles for background reading. Other
feature articles that address the same topic.
Non-print and non-web out reach products and
programs.
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8. IMPROVED CROSS-LINKING. Build in time and
labor to actively cross-link and cross-reference
new products to other outreach products (both on-
and off-line).9. FEEDBACK MECHANISMS. Active,
regular feedback is a critical component of a
successful outreach mission.10. SHOWCASE NEW
PUBLICATIONS. NASA Earth Scientists and
scientists working cooperatively with NASA create
800 to 900 new documents every year.
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11. REVISE OUTREACH WRITING.Focus on the change
you want to create.Focus on what youre
promising readers beyond new scientific
information.Focus on creating relevance and
context.Write the characters, chronology, and
information around those concepts.Focus far more
on character-based writing. (Put a face on
it!)Focus on the goals and struggles of
people.Show us what it looks like, smells like,
and feels like to do the workStrengthen feature
introductions. Grab us into a scene of
significance present key study question(s)
establish relevance and get us inside the
central character and their goal.
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And.....In the lead, tell whats the point?
for READERS and why it had to be NASA that did
this work.Emphasize the advantages of, benefits
of, and innovation of space-based data
collection for Earth Science.When readers watch
real characters strive and struggle, they gain
context and begin to invest in the
information.Avoid passive voice.Focus on core
elements of story.Pull readers into the
immediacy of close third.Tighten the final
version of all entries.
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12. CHILDRENS SITES Use reviewers and/or
writers trained for writing for specific age
groups. Effective vocabulary, sentence structure,
inference, imagery, article structure and
organization, repetition rates, etc., differ with
the age of the target audience.