Professional Science Communicator/Science Communicator
Someone who has the degree, or degree equivalent of a science communication degree.
Scientist Communicator
Someone who works in a field of science, and communicates information about that field.
Science Advocate
Someone who does advocacy on behalf of science, and upholds high standards, to support scientists and science communicators. Advocates adhere to a certain level of professionalism as they offer support to professional fields of study.
But there is also one more important group we really need to nurture to its potential:
Like Trekkies, or LOTR fans, sports fans, or anything else, this is someone who is really passionate about science, and takes that passion in the direction they would take any similar passion . They personalize it, integrate it into other things they love, and try to get other people to love it. They defend science, make websites, and even may try to make a living from their love of science, just like other fans do for other fandoms.
Science as whole, needs to open its doors up to having fans, and to be nurturing fans. The Science Communicators, Scientist Communicators, and Science Advocates need to encourage them.
Fans shouldn’t be given a list of rules for how they should express their fandom; they should have a lot of freedom to be fans, and put all of their personality into it. They shouldn’t be hit with a hammer over what they post about, or what their sexual values are, or the closeness of their content to the academic level. Holding science fans to the same levels as advocates, or science communicators, would be wrong. People should discourage those who would attack the fans of science for things such as not behaving with a particular decorum, running their fan page or forums to Science Advocate standards, or dressing in particular ways. Science fans should be able to have fun, and be themselves, as they make the most of their passion.
Plenty of other less worthy interests have fans. Science needs its fans, especially in an age of information. And if we make a place for fans, we won’t have to worry about the blurred lines between fandom and advocacy we see these days. The problem isn’t people not behaving well enough to side with science, it is that there isn’t really much room for a science fan, the kind that would give football fans on game day, a run for their money.
Source: te