Have we neglected to communicate key ideas about how science is different from other types of knowledge building, and so unwittingly sustained a communication gap between 'science' and 'the public'?

This paper explores five broad principles for developing communication strategies that address the substance of science while still meeting the challenge of varying the tone of the message for six different sectors of the New Zealand public.

The paper was originally presented to the Association for Women in the Sciences conference, Auckland, 3-5 July 2002. It is based on a report written for MoRST called Commonsense, Trust and Science.