Field Of Science Communication Research Articles

The Brazilian Phonoaudiology Association Responds to Challenges Brought by COVID-19

Purpose The pandemic created new and urgent challenges to professionals in the field of communication sciences and disorders known as Phonoaudiology in Brazil. The Brazilian Association of Phonoaudiology has the second-largest group of professionals in this field. This article presents actions and projects of the scientific association taken to support clinical and teaching practices in Brazil to face of the challenges posed by the pandemic. In addition, broad strategies were implemented to address the current and future challenges to speech therapists in Brazil. Conclusions The Brazilian Association of Phonoaudiology heard the demands of the phonoaudiologists and reacted quickly using all available resources to face the unprecedented challenges imposed by the pandemic. Immediate and future challenges included being present in the life of the average phonoaudiologist, as a scientific and professional robust network, and enlarging the number of members to represent all of Brazil, a country with geographic, racial, linguistic, and economic complex diversity.

SOCIOLINGUISTICS GENDER DISCOURSE ANALYSIS IN MEDIA

The article is devoted to the study of gender realization in the English-language media discourse as a means of reflecting the changing trends in the concepts of femininity and masculinity. The study is carried out within the anthropocentric approach. The aim of this article is to highlight the theoretical frame of reference for the works included in this article. We intend to delimit the field of study for gender discourse analysis by highlighting the main theories and concepts that ensure its specificity. Interdisciplinary, which is the distinctive feature of gender discourse analysis, marks the evolution of research in this field that we are trying to capture in our proposed retrospective approach. The review of research that configures the domain of gender discourse analysis illustrates the latter relevance in deciphering the meaning of communication as an important qualitative research method in the field of communication sciences. On the other hand, the work identifies the specificity of gender representation in the language of contemporary gender-oriented magazines. The novelty of the paper is determined by the disclosure of the trends of new femininity and masculinity in media discourse. Additionally the media is commonly seen as a potential means of influence, control, and innovation in society. As a result, few significant social issues are addressed without some consideration of the role of the mass media. Gender issues are no exception, as illustrated by the following statement: The purpose of this article is to provide insights on the role of the media in status of men and women’s potential for socio-cultural change. The results show that the gender aspect in media discourse is manifested at the level of vocabulary, grammar and stylistics.

Theatre as a space for negotiation and co-creation of knowledge

In an increasingly rich and abundant context of publications on science and theatre, Simon Parry's “Science in performance: theatre and the politics of engagement” stands out for its multidisciplinary perspective on the topic, focusing on central issues in the field of science communication. Based on a detailed and dense analysis of a selection of theatre performances about science, Parry supports theatre as a space for negotiation and co-creation of knowledge.

The Transformation of Science Communication in VUCA Era: Study of Media Startups Kok Bisa in Indonesia

This study analyzes the transformation of science communication conducted by media startups in the VUCA era in Indonesia. In the information age, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, people are increasingly dependent on educational needs. Nevertheless, there are challenges of information explosion that are too dynamic and less effective. As a result, media startups have implemented science communication innovations to open public access to science. Previous studies have acknowledged science communication models using visual literacy approaches and using narrative explanations. Therefore, the model faces significant challenges such as information uncertainty, establishing a science communication ecosystem, and ambiguity due to cultural change. Employing qualitative content analysis methods, this article found that media startups face the biggest challenges in developing science communication. On the other hand, the VUCA era can be a driving tool for media startups to conduct adaptive social transformation in the field of science communication.

Project-Based Learning and Traditional Online Teaching of Research Methods During COVID-19: An Investigation of Research Self-Efficacy and Student Satisfaction

Research methods courses are a critical component of teaching the applications of evidence based practice in the health professions. With the shift to online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic, new possibilities for teaching research methods have emerged. This case study compares two 5-week asynchronous online graduate level research methods courses in the field of Communication Sciences and Disorders. One online section of the course used traditional methods (TDL) common in face-to-face courses with recorded slide-based lectures, written discussion forums, and a final presentation. The other online section of the course used project-based learning (PBL), which consisted of weekly projects that forced students to engage with the literature and work both collaboratively and autonomously. We measured students’ research self-efficacy and course satisfaction before and after their courses. Overall, research self-efficacy was higher for the TDL class at both time points. However, the PBL class showed a higher percent increase in research self-efficacy, specifically for more difficult and unfamiliar tasks like statistical analysis. Students in both courses were equally satisfied with their course and instructor; however, students in the PBL class reported a greater workload and level of difficulty. We interpret the results as showing benefits of PBL in facilitating greater engagement with the research literature and course content; while TDL had advantages in students’ confidence with the course, likely due to familiarity with the instructional format.

“Ponencia de Política Científica para la AE-IC” de 2020: un balance y algunas propuestas de mejora

Below is the Scientific Policy Presentation, a document created by Javier Marzal Felici, Professor of Audiovisual Communication at the Jaume I University of Castellón, and by Juan Antonio García Galindo, Professor of Journalism at the University of Málaga. It was commissioned by the Presidency and Governing Board of the Spanish Association of Communication Research (AE-IC) and written between July and October 2020. This report acts as a summary while making proposals; that is to say, it is “executive”. On the one hand, it gives an overview of the situation for research in the field of communication in Spain, gathering numerous reflections given by several dozens of researchers and members of AE-IC. On the other, the Scientific Policy Presentation proposes to stimulate or even “provoke” internal debate within the heart of AE-IC at a time when it is clearly perceived that the sphere of communication sciences has reached a notable level of maturity. Finally, those presenting it are attempting to gather the main concerns of a large part of the scientific community in the field of communication sciences in order to build future consensuses that are as broad as possible by presenting sixteen recommendations on scientific policy.

Vijf grote uitdagingen in de wetenschapscommunicatie

Abstract Five major challenges in science communication This article gives an overview of five major challenges in the field of science communication – with a focus on the Dutch/Flemish situation and the role that communication scientists can play in tackling these challenges. The research field is fragmented and the balance between the practical and academic aspects of science communication can be improved. In policies there is a large emphasis on informing society, whilst science communication should also be a dialogue with society. Connecting with society is the third mission of universities, but reward systems for scientists who do this are rudimentary and should be improved. Incorrect science news is at least partly caused by universities sending out exaggerated press releases. Researchers should take responsibility for how their own universities communicate about their work. Social sciences and humanities are underrepresented both in science communication activities and science communication research and should be involved more.

A Pilot Investigation of Critical Thinking in Undergraduate Students of Communication Sciences and Disorders

Speech-language pathologists use critical thinking on a daily basis to identify, evaluate, and implement evidence-based practices with their clients. Currently, however, there are minimal data describing the critical thinking of undergraduate students in the field of communication sciences and disorders. Without these data, it is unclear if and how students’ critical thinking differs at various points during their pre-service training. In the present study, we used the Cornell Critical Thinking Test – Level Z to describe the general critical thinking skills of 142 undergraduate students enrolled in two lower- (n = 95) and upper- (n = 47) level courses at a single university. We found no statistically significant differences between these two groups on the CCTT regarding their overall critical thinking performance (p = .068) or their skills of induction (p = .970), deduction (p = .160), observation (p = .384), assumptions (p = .342), or meaning interpretation (p = .155). Upper-level students, however, did consistently score slightly higher than their lower-level counterparts. Faculty should continue to develop undergraduate students’ critical thinking during their course of study. Although critical thinking appears to develop over the course of students’ undergraduate careers, formal instruction might be necessary to develop the skills necessary for successful practice as speech-language pathologists.

Visualizing pathogens: Disfluent shapes of pathogens increase their perceived complexity and danger while realism and disfluency boost the credibility of visualizations.

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, the public was regularly presented with visualizations of the viral pathogen causing this disease. Since there are several ways of visually communicating information, we investigate whether different types of visualizations affect how viewers judge the credibility of information as well as the complexity and potential harm of pathogens. A first experiment was conducted to assess whether a round, fluent shape elicits a different response than pathogens featuring disfluent components such as thread‐like appendages. Visualizations of disfluent bacteria were rated as more credible than those of fluent bacteria. In Experiment 2, bacteria were either presented as realistic renderings or as cartoon‐like line drawings (varied between‐subjects). Furthermore, half of the six bacteria had fluent shapes, while the other half featured disfluent shapes, resulting in the within‐subjects factor of fluency. Participants were asked to rate the credibility, complexity, and risk of serious illness associated with these bacteria. We found that disfluent bacteria were perceived as having a more complex metabolism and as holding a higher risk for serious illness. Furthermore, realism and disfluent shapes increase the credibility of visualizations, but not the credibility of additional information. These results have important implications for the field of science communication.

Research on Dementia in Communication Sciences and Disorders: Literature Analysis of Two Decades Using Text Mining

Purpose : As an increasing number of people live with dementia, vast research on dementia is necessary. However, it is unclear how much dementia has been studied and in what context in the field of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). This study was designed to explore the quantity of dementia research between 2000 and 2019 and CSD conditions studied in association with dementia using text mining techniques.<BR>Methods : 47,681 peer-reviewed articles published between the years 2009 and 2019 were extracted from the Web of Science, PsycINFO, and CINAHL. Text mining was carried out to understand productivity of research on dementia and other CSD conditions. Furthermore, co-occurrence network was analyzed to explore which dementia conditions were studied in relation with CSD conditions.<BR>Results : Fifty-three CSD conditions, including 10 different dementias, were identified. The number of studies on dementia was approximately half of that on language impairment or autism spectrum disorders. Among the 10 different dementias, unspecified dementia was most explored, followed by Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia studies have been increasing gradually in quantity but not significantly. Co-occurrence analysis revealed that primary progressive aphasia was the only dementia condition that showed a relatively stronger relation with other CSD conditions. Mild cognitive impairment and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis were also associated with dementia, but the association was not statistically significant.<BR>Discussion : Despite the importance of providing high-quality evidence specifically relevant to the field of CSD, dementia research has not been as rigorous as needed. Besides, dementia was found to be studied independently. Given the increasing aging population and a variety of impairments that people with dementia experience, it is promising to publish more studies focusing on dementia from more diverse perspectives.

Addressing diversity in science communication through citizen social science

This article seeks to address the lack of sociocultural diversity in the field of science communication by broadening conceptions of citizen science to include citizen social science. Developing citizen social science as a concept and set of practices can increase the diversity of publics who engage in science communication endeavors if citizen social science explicitly aims at addressing social justice issues. First, I situate citizen social science within the histories of citizen science and participatory action research to demonstrate how the three approaches are compatible. Next, I outline the tenets of citizen social science as they are informed by citizen science and participatory action research goals. I then use these tenets as criteria to evaluate the extent to which my case study, a community-based research project called ‘Rustbelt Theater’, counts as a citizen social science project.

Operationalizing science literacy: an experimental analysis of measurement

Inequalities in scientific knowledge are the subject of increasing attention, so how factual science knowledge is measured, and any inconsistencies in said measurement, is extremely relevant to the field of science communication. Different operationalizations of factual science knowledge are used interchangeably in research, potentially resulting in artificially comparable knowledge levels among respondents. Here, we present data from an experiment embedded in an online survey conducted in the United States (N = 1,530) that examined the distribution of factual science knowledge responses on a 3- vs. 5-point response scale. Though the scale did not impact a summative knowledge index, significant differences emerged when knowledge items were analyzed individually or grouped based on whether the correct response was “true” or “false.” Our findings emphasize the necessity for communicators to consider the goals of knowledge assessment when making operationalization decisions.

Broadening Perspectives on Broadening Participation: Professional Learning Tools for More Expansive and Equitable Science Communication

Many professionals in the field of science communication have argued that our work too often tends to be designed for people like ourselves—those already interested in, comfortable with, and engaged with science. Thus, our work, ostensibly intended to broaden who engages with STEM, may in fact be exacerbating rather than reducing disparities with regard to who has access to and makes use of designed (versus everyday) opportunities for science engagement. In this conceptual analysis, we posit that inclusive science communication must be conceptualized as a process of cultural exchange, rather than as a process of translation. Thus the goal is not to speak more simply or more loudly, but rather with more understanding and mutualism. We share the results of an exploratory project that developed a suite of research briefs designed to support science communication professionals in reflecting on key structural barriers that operate to institutionalize science as an non-inclusive domain of activity. We conclude that more dialogic ways of professional learning, among science educators, can reveal biases, gaps between goals and reality, and other underlying practices that must be addressed if we are to advance inclusive forms of science communication.

Literature-Based Strategies for Clinical Fellow Mentorship.

In the field of communication sciences and disorders, some research and guidance exist on clinical fellowship supervision for the mentor; however, there is a dearth of literature on clinical fellowship supervision from the perspective of the clinical fellow. This article begins with why the clinical fellowship experience is necessary, and then discusses clinical fellow and mentor expectations and responsibilities, clinical fellow independence, mentor qualities, and issues related to the provision of feedback. The overall goal is to enhance clinical fellow mentors' knowledge base on the clinical fellowship experience through review of current literature on supervision and mentorship.

Science for All? Practical Recommendations on Reaching Underserved Audiences

In a world decisively influenced by scientific developments science communication grows ever more important to enable informed decision making and participation of citizens in society and political discourse. However, science communication, being it public talks or participatory projects, often reaches only certain parts of society. While this problem is increasingly recognized, only some empirical results and practical recommendations on success-factors for promoting diversity and inclusiveness in science communication exist so far. If at all, many projects and reports focus on very specific areas with only a few aggregated and overarching best practices and guidelines. This article contributes to filling this gap and presents a set of practical recommendations on reaching and engaging underserved audiences of science communication activities. The proposed guidelines have been developed from the experiences and empirical evidence from the research and practice project “Science for All” in Germany, and are based on a review of existing guidelines and recommendations. They are corroborated by interviews with practitioners, scientists, and underrepresented groups. The seven recommendations include listening to underserved audiences, reducing the distance, illustrating the relevance of science for daily life, going where the people are, cooperating with stakeholders and multipliers, as well as the problem of too much openness and one-time activities. The guidelines are primarily addressed at practitioners in the field of science communication and meant to encourage and support a first step towards more diverse and inclusive science communication. However, they are limited wherever the roots of exclusion lay at the societal and political level and are open for discussion. While inclusive science communication alone cannot fix discrimination and inequality in society, a continuous self-reflection and improvement of the communication of science organizations, including the improvement of inclusion and diversity within the organization themselves, is an important contribution to a more equitable society.

Medio Ambiente y Comunicación: una mirada de la producción científica en América Latina

Este artigo faz parte de um estudo mais amplo que visou mapear a produção acadêmica no campo da divulgação científia na América Latina, em particular artigos publicados em periódicos científios revisado por pares. A coleta do material foi realizada em um período de seis meses, entre março e setembro de 2016, mas se referiu a todos os artigos identifiados, portanto, desde a década de 1980. A busca foi realizada em revistas acadêmicas da América Latina e de outras regiões do mundo que publicam artigos na área. Neste trabalho, analisamos especifiamente os artigos relacionados à divulgação científia e meio ambiente. Os resultados mostram que a produção acadêmica na região tem pouco mais de 20 anos. A maioria dos artigos foi publicada em revistas brasileiras (62%). Grande parte (92%) da contribuição para pesquisa e conhecimento nesse campo vem do Brasil e México. Cerca de um terço dos artigos publicados referemse a museus e centros de ciências, destacando o papel educacional que esses espaços têm para questões ambientais. É discutida a importância de promover maior pesquisa colaborativa e que envolvam outras disciplinas sobre questões ambientais na região.

A textbook linking theory, research, and practice of science communication

This book review will discuss “Science communication. An introduction”, edited by Frans van Dam, Liesbeth de Bakker, Anne Dijkstra, and Eric Jensen (2020), the first book in the PCST book series. The review will give an overview, a summary, and a criticism of this textbook, which is intended to be used in educational programs in science communication. As will be outlined, the book puts specific emphasis on linking theory, research, and practice, as well as including more perspectives from developing country contexts, and thus provides a valuable contribution to the dynamic field of science communication.

Between Evidence and Emotions: Emotional Appeals in Science Communication

In the field of science communication, there is currently a great deal of discussion on how individuals can be reached, not only through fact-oriented communication, but also through emotional appeals and ‘edutainment’ approaches. This discussion has been further intensified by the changing conditions of new media environments. From an academic viewpoint, the discussion is often met with scepticism. However, categorical statements about a supposed dichotomy of emotion and rationality are misleading. What is needed are differentiated arguments and analyses. Nevertheless, emotions in science communication are an often overseen research field. With this thematic issue, we seek to enrich the scientific discourse by providing research from authors coming from different perspectives using different concepts, methods, and cases. In this editorial, we summarise the contribution of ten different articles on three levels: (1) emotions of science communicators, (2) emotional(ised) content, and (3) emotions of science communication audiences.

Evidence-Based Science Communication

Effective science communication can empower research and innovation systems to address global challenges and put public interests at the heart of how knowledge is produced, shared, and applied. For science communication to play this mediating role effectively, we propose a more integrated and ‘evidence-based’ approach. This commentary identifies key issues facing the science communication field. It suggests a series of prescriptions, inspired by the impact of ‘evidence-based medicine’ over the past decades. In practice, evidence-based science communication should combine professional expertise and skills with the best available evidence from systematic research. Steps required to achieve this outcome include more quality assurance in science communication research, significant changes in teaching and training, and improved interfaces between science communication research and practice.

Standardized Patients in Communication Sciences and DIsorders: Past, Present and Future Directions

Standardized patients (SPs) are increasingly being used with students in the field of communication sciences and disorders (CSD). The purpose of this paper is to describe the use of SPs with CSD students. Challenges to the clinical education of students are described, and a call is made to expand the use of SPs to facilitate student learning of clinical skills and to assess students’ clinical competency.