Virginia Tech Science Communication Journal Club

About Us

The Virginia Tech Science Communication Journal is dedicated to creating a unique platform for students across various scientific disciplines to showcase their scientific work and participate in a student-led journal. Our mission is to help grow interest in translating complex scientific topics into digestible and easily accessible formats, compiled into a unified platform where students can submit original articles, reviews, and other scholarly works for review, feedback, and eventual publication. This journal serves as an outlet for elevating members’ abilities in science communication and the submission-editorial process including peer review, formatting, article submission, and editing, fostering a deeper understanding of the entire publication process with a tangible end-product of publication in our journal. This club seeks to provide opportunities not only to write and review, but also to cultivate essential skills in translating science for broader audiences, bridging the gap between research and public understanding.

What makes VTSciCom different from other organizations on campus is that, unlike organizations which primarily focus on advice and skill workshops for professional writing, VTSciCom emphasizes translating scientific knowledge for non-specialist audiences with a tangible end-product. We focus on public science communication rather than strictly academic or research-focused writing. Our club’s activities focus on making science accessible and engaging to the broader community within the Virginia Tech atmosphere. Our workshops and events, such as the Science Communication Showcase, emphasize creativity, outreach, and the concept of simplifying complex information for everyone to have access to. Lastly, by welcoming students from various scientific disciplines, not just medical students, we create a cross-disciplinary environment that fosters unique collaborations and encourages diverse perspectives on how science can be communicated.