Exploring the influence of disciplinary cultures and self-efficacy on the training needs of scientists in Portugal

Scientists are increasingly asked to publicly engage with wider audiences, but such actions require specific training. However, the perceived training needs of researchers have not been widely studied, and the impact of disciplinary cultures has not been assessed. Enhanced knowledge on how different disciplinary communities view training could assist in better tailoring training programmes. With the purpose of analysing training needs reported by scientists, a survey was administered to researchers from three scientific disciplines in Portugal, and the results confirm an association between scientific disciplines and training needs. Previous science communication practice is also related to perceived needs, and training is associated with enhanced self-efficacy.