Public Communication Of Science Research Articles

Design of a public science communication strategy on cultural heritageand local art in the center of the province of Buenos Aires (Argentina)

The communication of cultural heritage studies does not always constitute a central action of research projects. Therefore, the objective of this work is to present the design of a public science communication strategy on cultural heritage and local art in the district of Olavarría (Argentina). The proposal arises from the making of a documentary and its low visibility and exchange with the public. To achieve this, methodologically it is proposed to work from communication planning based on contextual models and citizen participation. The main result is the development of a communication strategy, based on transmedia formats and focused on the local educational sector. It concludes on the importance of articulating cultural heritage research with social sectors that are susceptible to becoming aware of their environment and that have a high potential to get involved in its protection and safeguarding.

Children's books for research-based outreach and science communication pedagogy

Abstract. Academics are encouraged to integrate scientific research with the public, but methods of doing so are often transient and insubstantial. Students and future scientists also require training and exposure to the importance of public outreach and science communication within STEM fields. Here, I describe two projects that provide a template for using children's books as an efficient and impactful means of science communication. The first part describes an international research project that culminates in the writing, illustration, and distribution of a children's book. Farzana’s Journey is a children's book based on multidisciplinary research on the pairing of the physical and human systems in coastal Bangladesh. Written, illustrated, and freely distributed in the Bengali language, the book is a place-based tool to teach rural Bangladesh communities about the natural world and our scientific findings. Through the development and distribution of the book, we encouraged collaboration and public outreach with scientists, artists, and students concerned with enhancing educational and social opportunities in rural communities. We also ensure a physical tie to the community after the project's culmination. The book sparks children’s curiosity in the local environment while also demonstrating a means for sustainable educational outreach with impoverished, remote communities. The second part of the paper provides an overview of how this type of science communication can be taught to early-career scientists. Students in an intensive learning undergraduate course produce children's books about a scientific concept or process. I describe the curricular context and layout of the course, the assessment of deliverables, and the impacts of the science storytelling process as a model for teaching communication literacy. Together, these efforts demonstrate the potential impact of children's books on science communication efforts among students, early-career scientists, and local communities.

Who are the "Heroes of CRISPR"? Public science communication on Wikipedia and the challenge of micro-notability.

Wikipedia's influence in shaping public perceptions of science underscores the significance of scientists being recognized on the platform, as it can impact their careers. Although Wikipedia offers guidelines for determining when a scientist qualifies for their own article, it currently lacks guidance regarding whether a scientist should be acknowledged in articles related to the innovation processes to which they have contributed. To explore how Wikipedia addresses this issue of scientific "micro-notability," we introduce a digital method called Name Edit Analysis, enabling us to quantitatively and qualitatively trace mentions of scientists within Wikipedia's articles. We study two CRISPR-related Wikipedia articles and find dynamic negotiations of micro-notability as well as a surprising tension between Wikipedia's principle of safeguarding against self-promotion and the scholarly norm of "due credit." To reconcile this tension, we propose that Wikipedians and scientists collaborate to establish specific micro-notability guidelines that acknowledge scientific contributions while preventing excessive self-promotion.

Approaching digital genre composing through reflective pedagogical praxis

With the development of Web 2.0 we have witnessed an ever-expanding repertoire of digital genres. This brings with it new communicative needs and invites us to reflect on possible ways of teaching digital multimodal composing in EAP courses. Using case study research and genre theory as a heuristic, this article critically discusses the implementation of a pedagogical practice that sought to raise the students' rhetorical consciousness of aspects of genre continuity, evolution and innovation, focusing on digital genres of professional and public science communication. The examination of the digital texts composed by the students shows that several factors (genre awareness, genre knowledge transfer, reliance on acquired content and formal schemata and interdiscursive performance) may play an important role when recontextualising specialised content across genres. The study findings also suggest that while rhetorical consciousness facilitates the processes of recontextualising and repurposing content to reach broad audiences, L1 transfer could negatively influence digital genre composing. In light of the findings, I advocate explicit instruction in “metageneric texts” and methodologies for raising awareness of “inter-genre-al” forms across connected genres online. This instruction could support the students’ professional development and the participatory framework for scientific research advocated by the Open Science agenda.

Expanded View of Ultimate Questions in Public Communication of Science: Qualitative Discourse Analysis of Genetics and Neuroscience

AbstractThis article argues that studying ultimate questions as “potential mediators” of religious worldviews increases sociological knowledge of religion outside institutional boundaries, as research on secularization indicates. Concurrently, other studies demonstrate that the public communication of science (PCS) influences public orientations toward religion. Integrating these contributions, I deploy a qualitative discourse analysis of 78 genetics and neuroscience PCS monographs to investigate whether and how they raise and discuss ultimate questions together with religious references. The analysis reveals two models for relating science and religion in PCS, conflict and integration, and indicates that the latter prevails. Within the integration model, I conceptualize the “expanded view” of ultimate questions in PCS and discuss in detail its main features, especially its nondualistic approach. Lastly, I discuss the possible social consequences of the expanded view and the contribution of my findings to the sociology of religion and the sociology of religion and science.

Let science be told: A review of ideas for storytelling in science communication

There is a rich literature on storytelling in public science communication, mostly advancing the premise that it helps in telling science to the public. We present here a summary of results from a review of ideas on the subject guided by a set of questions about goals, techniques, and research. We found no consensus on the notion of what is a story, yet some useful approximations emerged. There are various goals driving the use of storytelling to communicate science, from engaging to creating emotions to favouring understanding. The structure of the stories appeared as a crucial element, and three types of structures are dominant. As a field in evolution, there are not many empirical studies, but the few we found appear promising. We conclude that there is ample opportunity for discussion and research regarding emotions, persuasion, understanding and innovation in the use of narrative concepts and techniques to better let the science be told.

Role conceptions of university communicators: A segmentation analysis of communication practitioners in higher education institutions

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are major players in public science communication. However, only a few studies have investigated HEI communication practitioners, who play an important role in shaping universities’ public relations and outreach communication. Building on the assumption that HEI communicators differ in their role conceptions, as well as professional and educational backgrounds, we surveyed 189 communicators from all 42 HEIs in Switzerland. Using segmentation analysis, we identified four types of communicators—(1) the leading all-rounder, (2) the generalist, (3) the science mediator, and (4) the service partner—who differ in their role conceptions, but also in their professional characteristics and organizational contexts.

Misrepresenting autism in university promotional videos advocating robot therapy: a multimodal critical discourse analysis

ABSTRACT This paper presents a critical account of the way in which university marketing, public communication of science, and crisis narratives about autism are made to intersect in three promotional videos. The videos highlight research conducted at one UK and two US universities and showcase using social robots to diagnose and treat autistic children. The paper begins by contextualizing how a problematic model of autism informs calls for intervention as well as representations of autism in the videos themselves. Taking a Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis Approach, the paper then describes three interrelated processes at work in the university videos: commodification, technologization and codification. Together, these concepts encapsulate the way in which the videos work as both institutional self-promotion and promotion of a particular perspective on communication. Informed by Ledin and Machin’s affordance-based approach in which choices in semiotic materials are first described and then analyzed as multimodal articulations, the video analysis attends to the use of narrative stages, scenes and settings, characters, rhythm and sound, and language and evaluations. What the analysis demonstrates is how the videos are both exercises in university commodification and responses to crisis autism and that this is done so as to makes them seem complimentary projects.

1ST International Congress on Research, Technological Development and Innovation in University Education

Different papers have been presented to the congress by renowned researchers along the following five thematic lines:- Scientific research, training and researcher training- Research, innovation and development policies in Higher Education.- Paradigms in scientific research and new epistemological challenges in the production of knowledge in Latin American universities.- Internationalization of research networks, groups and institutes.- Public communication of science and technology.

Who are “we”? Examining relational ethos in British Columbia, Canada's COVID-19 public health communication

This paper investigates the multiple meanings and functions of the pronoun “we” in COVID-19 public updates by British Columbia's acclaimed Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry in 2020. Our rhetorical case study shows how “we” contributes to Henry's relational ethos by attempting to foster a communal identity with her implied audience while also distinguishing public health expertise, actions, and authority from citizens' knowledge and actions. Ambiguous uses of “we” blur the line between the knowledge and responsibilities of “we” in public health and “we” as citizens. Overall, our rhetorical analysis demonstrates the significant but ambivalent role this pronoun can play in building relations of social trust among citizens, experts, and institutions within public health and science communication contexts and it suggests the importance of judicious pronoun usage when communicators strive to foster these relations.

‘I invite you to take a sip from the golden fountain and confirm these statements for yourself’: preparing undergraduate science students to publicly address pseudoscientific news

ABSTRACT This exploratory study examines an instructional activity in which undergraduate biology students at a Canadian university who, after receiving instruction from an expert science communicator on how to publicly address pseudoscience in online media, were asked to research online a pseudoscientific news of their choice, demonstrate how they would publicly address a pseudoscience-believing audience, and self-assess their communicative performances. An analysis of students’ written reflections showed that participation in this activity fostered recognition of the importance of dialogue, with most students adopting an audience-centered (dialogic) stance that took into account the public’s interpersonal needs (respect, empathy), communicative needs (comprehensible input) and epistemic needs (scientific knowledge). Yet, inspection of video-recordings of their oral presentations revealed that some students took a combative communicative approach – communicated in ways that suggested a confrontational attitude toward the public that was inconsistent with their dialogic views. Acknowledging interpersonal difficulties associated with the act of implementing their dialogical views, these students stressed the challenging nature of public science communication about fake news. It is argued that, fully developing communicative competence to address fake news requires extended and sustained instruction that allows students to progressively hone their communication skills.

Estratégias de uma universidade pública brasileira para comunicar a ciência na pandemia da COVID-19

A circularidade de informações, potencializada pelo avanço tecnológico e social de plataformas midiáticas, favorece o maior alcance de boatos, teorias conspiratórias e produtos comunicacionais que impactam, sobretudo, a ciência. Neste sentido, a pandemia do novo coronavírus mostra-se um evento histórico com importantes consequências para a humanidade e apresenta, dentre outros desafios, a necessidade de difundir informações credíveis que auxiliem no combate à disseminação da doença. Estudar como determinados conteúdos encontram eco a partir do uso das redes sociais abre caminhos para discutir como a comunicação pública da ciência se articula às narrativas em circulação nas redes. É a partir deste contexto que o presente estudo se apresenta, ao mapear as estratégias de comunicação em redes sociais virtuais implementadas pela Universidade de São Paulo (USP) que, de acordo com indicadores, figura como a maior produtora de pesquisa no Brasil e a segunda da América Latina. A análise de conteúdo das postagens do Facebook, publicadas durante os meses iniciais de registro de casos e mortes pelo vírus, de fevereiro a abril de 2020, buscou compreender a relação entre comunicação midiática e a responsabilidade de organizações que produzem ciência para combater a desinformação e movimentos negacionistas.

Science communication and public trust in science

ABSTRACT There are many ways that trust plays a crucial role in science, both between researchers and between researchers and various communities impacted by their research. Scientific practices can operate in ways that either facilitate, or undermine, trust in science. This contribution will examine the role of science communication in facilitating (or undermining) public trust in science and science-based policy recommendations. This will be done by looking at some potential failures in the public communication of science during the COVID-19 pandemic that have the potential to undermine trust in scientists. Finally, I draw out lessons that this case has for how we might improve science communication practices.

Emphasizing uncertainty, celebrating community and valuing values: science communication remedies for the COVID-19 era and beyond

ABSTRACT Specific pieces of science communication shape publics’ more general impression of science, whether intentionally or not. This, in turn, affects how publics interact with science, acts as citizens in techno-scientific societies, and ultimately has implications for the role of science as an institution in democratic societies. Representations of science that downplay scientific uncertainty, elide the role of the scientific community, and de-emphasize the values which define the institution of science have problematic consequences for science, publics and democracy. Therefore, though increasingly encouraged to communicate research to wider public audiences, scientists must think carefully about their communication practices. Specifically, the epistemic status of research findings, what elements of the process of knowledge creation are foregrounded, and the values which underpin the scientific community all need to be clearly communicated to the public. This article will help Early Career Researchers (ECRs) reflect on their public science communication and begin to develop communication practices of benefit to publics and science.

Распределенное научное познание – на пути к разнообразию

The author explores to the conditions for implementation of science as a public good and connects these conditions with the problem of epistemic injustice. She proposes the hypothesis that in order to implement science as a public good or actualize it as a source of diversity, it is necessary to focus theoretical attention on the concept of distributed scientific cognition and allow for the possibility of relevant practices. The rules of distributed scientific cognition practices can and should ensure both the epistemic constructiveness of science and its epistemic justice, legitimizing the openness of access to scientific cognition distributed outside the scientific community. The text reveals the main characteristics of the concept of distributed cognition, introduced by E. Hutchins. The author proposes additionally take into account two meanings of distributed scientific cognition – extensive and intensive. The first refers to the possibility of unlimited addition of participants in cognition with a reasonable relevance of their positions. The second opens up the perspective of working on a distribution that has not yet happened and suggests that any epistemic position can be distributed. She also demonstrates the applicability of the concept to relevant scientific practices related to both professional scientific communication and public communication of science.

Assessing Academics’ Third Mission Engagement by Individual and Organisational Predictors

In recent years, the coming of the entrepreneurial university has brought about a third role in academia, which involves greater visible exchange of academics with society and industry. In this paper, the authors investigate to what extent individual and organisational factors influence the propensity of academics to engage in different types of Third Mission (TM) activities. This study is based on a large-scale survey of academics in Iceland regarding engagement in socio-economic activities. The results indicate that “soft” activities such as community activities and external teaching and training can be better predicted by individual factors, while hard activities such as applied contract research and commercialisation can be better predicted by organisational factors. Overall, academics are most likely to participate in community-related activities. Hereby, academics from the STEM and health disciplines, with work experience outside of academia and who are open to new experiences are more likely to be engaged in applied contract research and commercialisation. Academics belonging to disciplines other than STEM and health sciences and those that on an average publish more peer-reviewed articles are more likely to disseminate their knowledge to a wider audience outside of academia through public science communication. Gender, rank, and teaching do not affect TM participation, but openness, performance, or discipline do.

The role of organizations in the public communication of science – Early research, recent studies, and open questions

Organizational science communication of higher education institutions (and research institutes outside the university sector) came into view of scholars of “science journalism” soon after the begin of systematic studies of the scientist-journalist relationship. While the pioneering French study of scientists’ relationship with the mass media by Boltanski and Maldidier (1970) focused on implications of the norms of the scientific community for public communication by scientists, early surveys of scientists in the United States (Dunwoody & Ryan, 1982, 1983) and – peripherally – also in Germany (Krüger, 1985; Peters & Krüger, 1985) considered both the scientific community and the university (or other public research organizations) as relevant contexts of the scientist-journalist relationship. The issue of organizational science public relations (PR) was also addressed by scholars and practitioners in publications and workshops in Europe (see, e.g., Peters, 1984; Ruß-Mohl, 1990; Zerges & Becker, 1992) in the 1980s and early 1990s. While researchers were not oblivious of self-interests’ influence in public communication activities of universities and other research institutions, the dominant perspective on science communication was that of the relationship of science and the media, and PR officers at science organizations were largely conceptualized as “mediators between scientists and journalists” (Dunwoody & Ryan, 1983) or as “practitioner in the middle” (Rogers, 1988).

Communication of higher education institutions: Historical developments and changes over the past decade

Higher education institutions (HEIs) are pivotal organizations in modern societies. Over the past decades, the higher education sector has expanded considerably in countries across the world, with many newly founded colleges and universities and rapid increases in student enrollment and research output. In addition, new public management reforms and a growing need for societal legitimation have led many HEIs to establish or enlarge their communication departments, pursue branding and reputation management, and professionalize their communication efforts across various channels. Although a growing body of literature has shed light on how HEIs engage in public relations (PR) and science communication, we know little about how their communication has developed over time and in relation to the fundamental transformations in higher education systems and the media landscape in recent years, decades, and even centuries. Most existing sketches of such historical developments have focused on one country – as is typical for histories of PR in general – and have been dedicated to the second half of the 20th century. In contrast, the early beginnings of university communication since the late 19th century and recent trends in the past decade have been little researched. This guest editorial and the contributions of this Thematic Section on Changing Communication of Higher Education Institutions address these gaps in research and together shed light on developments in different European countries, as well as in the U. S.

Framing the mobility transition: public communication of industry, science, media, and politics in Germany

BackgroundApplying the Multi-Level Perspective (MLP) on socio-technical transitions, paired with the interdisciplinary framing approach, this paper investigates how incumbent actors of automobility in Germany framed the issue of a "transition of mobility and transport" ("Verkehrs/Mobilitätswende") in their public communication in 2020. We first identified representatives of industry, science, policy, and media, since the Verkehrs/Mobilitätswende and its implementation measures are contested among these actors. Employing qualitative content analysis, we then screened 325 public documents according to the elements of the framing approach problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and treatment recommendation.ResultsFindings show that most of the actors frame a transformation of transport and mobility as a necessity. Their arguments encompass environmental and climate-related issues as well as infrastructural problems for bikes and public transport caused by the hegemony of automobility. The actors propose a variety of solutions, primarily focusing on technical innovations for cars or on the expansion of different infrastructures to achieve a modal shift towards sustainable mobility.ConclusionThis paper demonstrates that there is no common understanding of the problems and solutions to foster a mobility transition, as the diversity of problems and solutions proposed within the frame elements is high and complicates the prevailing implementation gap of the mobility transition. Therefore, MLP should be conceptually and methodologically bridged with the interdisciplinary framing approach, particularly with regard to the transition of mobility and transport.

SCIENCE PR STRATEGIES FOR COMMUNICATING ASTRONOMY: THE CASE OF ESA AND HUBBLE 15TH ANNIVERSARY PROJECT

By implementing Hubble 15th Anniversary project (2005), the European Space Agency (ESA) follows the new realities of Public Relations and science communication which apply to research institutes concerned with astronomy. The mix between the principles of popular culture and the Public Understanding of Science (PUS) movement represents the theoretical foundation of an active and efficient communication strategy, intended for the promotion of a positive attitude among the public towards the opportunities of scientific research. By using all the means offered by popular culture, Hubble 15th Anniversary project suggested a range of cultural products and events (Hubble Days events, DVDs, Hubble-themed gadgets etc.) which combined information with entertainment and which managed to materialize a science PR strategy based on the realities of popular culture.