Public Communication Of Science Research Articles

Post-normal science communication: exploring the blurring boundaries of science and journalism

This article provides a framework for analysing changes and continuities in science communication. The field is challenged by three contexts: (1) ‘post-normal situations’ of coping with uncertainties, value questions, an urgency to take action, and associated political pressures; (2) a dramatically changing media environment, and (3) a polarizing discourse culture. We refine the concept of post-normal science to make it more applicable to analyse public science communication in an era of digital media networks. Focussing on changes in the interactions between scientists and journalists, we identify two ideal types: normal and post-normal science communication, and conclude that the boundaries of science and journalism are blurring and under renegotiation. Scientists and journalists develop new shared role models, norms, and practices. Both groups are increasingly acting as advocates for common goods that emphasize the emerging norms of post-normal science communication: transparency, interpretation, advocacy and participation.

Energy‐Transition Education in a Power Systems Journey: Making the Invisible Visible and Actionable

AbstractWe describe an approach to educating for systemic change in energy systems by integrating technical knowledge of solutions with reflection on paradigms and norms, facilitated by experiential and art‐based forms of learning. The course, “Power Systems Journey: Making the Invisible Visible and Actionable,” is part of the University of Minnesota interdisciplinary grand‐challenge curriculum. Students take on the challenge of public science communication about how to change the electric‐grid system (from power generation to consumption) as part of an energy transition to respond to climate change. The course integrates electrical engineering, history of science and technology, systems thinking, design thinking, paradigms, art, humanities, science communication, storytelling, experiential learning, and the creation of GIS story‐maps and museum exhibits. The design context and elements of the course are described and include: the grand challenge of the energy transition itself, the context of energy‐transition education, the nature of the grand‐challenge curriculum, the collaborative and teaching philosophy, the role of students, the interdisciplinary course framework, the special focus on the role of arts and humanities in energy education, and the course‐curricular structure, which uses the “Earth Systems Journey” curriculum model. The centerpiece of the article describes the “Power Systems Journey” experience in narrative form to match the pedagogical approach of the course using artwork examples from students as they investigated the grid. The article concludes with reflections from students and teachers on what the course offers and where to go from here.

Art-Science Collaboration in an EPSRC/BBSRC-Funded Synthetic Biology UK Research Centre

Here I examine the potential for art-science collaborations to be the basis for deliberative discussions on research agendas and direction. Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) has become a science policy goal in synthetic biology and several other high-profile areas of scientific research. While art-science collaborations offer the potential to engage both publics and scientists and thus possess the potential to facilitate the desired “mutual responsiveness” (René von Schomberg) between researchers, institutional actors, publics and various stakeholders, there are potential challenges in effectively implementing collaborations as well as dangers in potentially instrumentalizing artistic work for science policy or innovation agendas when power differentials in collaborations remain unacknowledged. Art-science collaborations can be thought of as processes of exchange which require acknowledgement of and attention to artistic agendas (how can science be a conceptual and material resource for new aesthetics work) as well as identification of and attention to aesthetic dimensions of scientific research (how are aesthetics and affective framings a part of a specific epistemological resource for scientific research). I suggest the advantage of specifically identifying public engagement/science communication as a distinct aspect of such projects so that aesthetic, scientific or social science/philosophical research agendas are not subsumed to the assumption that the primary or only value of art-science collaborations is as a form of public engagement or science communication to mediate biological research community public relations. Likewise, there may be potential benefits of acknowledging an art-science-RRI triangle as stepping stone to a more reflexive research agenda within the STS/science communication/science policy community. Using BrisSynBio, an EPSRC/BBSRC-funded research centre in synthetic biology, I will discuss the framing for art-science collaborations and practical implementation and make remarks on what happened there. The empirical evidence reviewed here supports the model I propose but additionally, points to the need to broaden the conception of and possible purposes, or motivations for art, for example, in the case of cross-sectoral collaboration with community engaged art.

Proceedings of a roundtable event ‘Is communicating the concept of nutrient density important?’

AbstractThe British Nutrition Foundation held a 1‐day roundtable event to gather views from a wide range of stakeholders on the relevance and importance of the concept of nutrient density in supporting and motivating people to make healthier dietary choices. The opportunities and barriers associated with the use of this concept were also explored. The roundtable involved experts from research, public health nutrition, dietetics, retail and nutrition science communication, and this report describes the main themes emerging from the discussions. High obesity prevalence rates indicate that, on average, we are consuming too many calories relative to energy requirements; yet, the quality of our diets, with respect to certain vitamins and minerals and fibre, seems to be falling somewhat short of recommendations. Addressing this issue may require a more holistic approach than the current focus on restricting single nutrients prevalent in public health messaging internationally. Most members of the roundtable felt that communicating the concept of nutrient density may help in encouraging healthier food choices and dietary patterns that are higher in nutritional quality. However, while nutrient profiling has been used to guide front‐of‐pack labelling and in restricting the advertising of less healthy foods to children, there is a lack of consensus on the precise definition of a ‘nutrient dense’ food or which nutrients should be used as markers of the ‘healthiness’ of foods/drinks, and the term seems to be poorly understood by consumers and health professionals alike. Therefore, further work is required if tools around this concept are to be developed to try and successfully promote behaviour change.

Public Communication of Science through healthy food labelling in the US and Europe

A theoretical analysis of the American and European Health claims regulations. Following the studies on public communication and understanding of science, I identify the underlying regulatory strategies for the regulations on the presentation of this kind of information on food labelling. Based on empirical studies on perception and purchase intention, I assess the extent to which their communicative approaches contribute to achieving the regulatory objectives. Results: Both regulations follow different approaches depending on their different political objectives; The available studies point to the failure of these objectives in both cases; This seems to be due to underlying classical conceptions about science communication and enculturation.

How experts understand the public in vaccination controversies in Chile

Las controversias socio-científicas sobre las vacunas que han surgido en los últimos años en Chile muestran nuevas tensiones entre expertos y ciudadanía. Gran parte de los estudios que abordan estas problemáticas se centran en analizar a quienes rechazan la vacunación, pero no a otros actores relevantes de las controversias como son los expertos. A partir de un enfoque cualitativo, en este artículo se analizan los discursos, estrategias y prácticas comunicativas de los expertos en salud, buscando comprender su punto de vista respecto a quienes rechazan la vacunación. La investigación muestra que, si bien existe unanimidad sobre la relevancia de las vacunas como medida preventiva, hay diversidad entre las posiciones de los expertos frente a quienes son críticos con la vacunación. Esto se refleja en distintos modelos de comunicación pública de la ciencia y la tecnología, con una clara vigencia del modelo del déficit cognitivo y su perspectiva alfabetizador.

Max Weber’s ‘Inconvenient Facts’ and Contemporary Studies of Public Science Communication

ABSTRACTIn his text ‘Wissenschaft als Beruf’, Max Weber associates the understanding of science as a vocation with the scientist’s ability to present the audience with ‘inconvenient facts’. He argues that this presentation provides a ‘full understanding of the facts’ and overcomes any personal value judgment. This overcoming refers to Weber’s understanding of scientific objectivity. I propose to interpret this understanding in the context of contemporary studies of public science communication. I pose the question, ‘Should scientists objectively present inconvenient facts to the public or should they neglect objectivity in science-society communication?’ I will start by legitimizing this question in the context of contemporary discussions on public science communication. To answer this question I will then use Heather Douglas’s observations addressing irreducible complexity of objectivity as a conceptual framework. I will briefly describe, with some modifications, this idea in relation to Weber’s representation of ‘inconvenient facts’. I then will continue by referencing discussions concerning scientist’s norms in public science communication and relate them to the formulations of objectivity above. In conclusion, I will offer an explanation of why the objectivity in Weber’s interpretation remains relevant to regulate contemporary public science communication.

Do Organizational Interests Interfere with Public Communication of Science? An Explorative Study of Public Relations of Scientific Organizations in Taiwan

The relevance of public relations (PR) efforts of scientific organizations for public communication of science is increasingly recognized. PR departments are not mere mediators between scientists and journalists but represent the stakeholder interests of their organizations in the public sphere and are communicative actors themselves. Previous Taiwanese studies focused on university PR in the educational context, whereas the potential function in the communication of research and scientific knowledge received less attention. This study explores how PR departments of academic organizations in Taiwan view their role in the public communication of science. Insights from eleven semistructured interviews with PR officers suggest that public relations departments of academic organizations in Taiwan only half-heartedly contribute to the communication of science. Another interesting finding is that even in the era of social media science, PR still relies heavily on journalism, which in Taiwan lacks professionalism in the communication of science. We suggest a more active role of academic organizations in the public communication of science, pursuing not only marketing or self-presentation goals, but also assuming genuine responsibility for public information about research and scientific knowledge.

Science stories as culture: experience, identity, narrative and emotion in public communication of science

The last three decades have seen extensive reflection concerning how science communication should be modelled and understood. In this essay we propose the value of a cultural approach to science communication — one that frames it primarily as a process of meaning-making. We outline the conceptual basis for this view of culture, drawing on cultural theory to suggest that it is valuable to see science communication as one aspect of (popular) culture, as storytelling or narrative, as ritual, and as collective meaning-making. We then explore four possible ways that a cultural approach might proceed: by mobilising ideas about experience; by framing science communication through identity work; by focusing on fiction; and by paying attention to emotion. We therefore present a view of science communication as always entangled within, and itself shaping, cultural stories and meanings. We close by suggesting that one benefit of this approach is to move beyond debates concerning ‘deficit or dialogue’ as the key frame for public communication of science.

Storytelling: the soul of science communication

There is a renewed interest amongst science communication practitioners and scholars to explore the potential of storytelling in public communication of science, including to understand how science storytelling functions (or could fail) in different contexts. Drawing from storytelling as the core theme of the 2018 conference of the Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) Network, we present a selection of papers, essays and practice insights that offer diverse perspectives. Some contributions focus on the cultural and structural qualities of science stories and its key success factors, while others explore new formats, platforms and collaborators in science storytelling activities.

Why We Need Open Science Communication Experts

The changing open science landscape leads to new requirements and expectations in terms of dissemination, communication and outreach. With the increasing importance of micro blogging, social media and other interactive Web 2.0 channels for communicating research outcomes to target audiences outside academia, pressure on researchers to apply more marketing-oriented communication strategies and produce related content increases. In this paper we discuss how research dissemination and communication as well as the roles of researchers and science communicators are transforming in an open science context. We argue that the introduction of new science communication roles and positions is necessary to solve current gaps in public science communication.

Communicating Science in the Digital and Social Media Ecosystem: Scoping Review and Typology of Strategies Used by Health Scientists.

BackgroundThe public’s understanding of science can be influential in a wide range of areas related to public health, including policy making and self-care. Through the digital and social media ecosystem, health scientists play a growing role in public science communication (SC).ObjectiveThis review aimed to (1) synthesize the literature on SC initiated by health scientists targeting the public in the digital and social media ecosystem and (2) describe the SC strategies and communication channels used.MethodsThis scoping review was based on the Joanna Briggs Institute Methodological Framework. A systematic search was performed in 6 databases (January 2000 to April 2018). Title and abstract screening, full-text review, data charting, and critical appraisal were performed independently by two review authors. Data regarding included studies and communication channels were synthesized descriptively. A typology of SC strategies was developed using a qualitative and inductive method of data synthesis.ResultsAmong 960 unique publications identified, 18 met inclusion criteria. A third of publications scored good quality (6/18, 33%), half scored moderate quality (9/18, 50%), and less than a fifth scored low quality (3/18, 16%). Overall, 75 SC strategies used by health scientists were identified. These were grouped into 9 types: content, credibility, engagement, intention, linguistics, planification, presentation, social exchange, and statistics. A total of 5 types of communication channels were identified: social networking platforms (eg, Twitter), content-sharing platforms (eg, YouTube), digital research communities (eg, ResearchGate), personal blogs and websites (eg, WordPress), and social news aggregation and discussion platforms (eg, Reddit).ConclusionsEvidence suggests that multiple types of SC strategies and communication channels are used by health scientists concurrently. Few empirical studies have been conducted on SC by health scientists in the digital and social media ecosystem. Future studies should examine the appropriateness and effectiveness of SC strategies for improving public health–related outcomes and identify the barriers, facilitators, and ethical considerations inherent to the involvement of health scientists in the digital and social media ecosystem.

Gestão de processos de comunicação em instituições federais de ensino superior: um estudo de campo na Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

Este estudo tem por objetivo propor melhorias nos processos de comunicação da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. Como referencial teórico, são utilizadas as perspectivas da comunicação pública apresentadas por Brandão (2012): Comunicação Organizacional; Comunicação Científica; Comunicação do Estado e/ou Governamental. Além disso, a gestão por processos é trabalhada sob a ótica da ABPMP (2009), a notação BPMN e as técnicas de identificação de necessidades de melhorias em processos 5W2H, Método de Análise e Solução de Problemas (MASP) e benchmarking. Como opção metodológica, utilizam-se a pesquisa bibliográfica e o estudo de campo, com análise documental, pesquisa participante, entrevistas semiestruturadas e checklist. Os resultados apontam a possibilidade de informatização do processo de atualização do site/portal da Universidade e a proposta de algumas melhorias como: construção de um Guia de Produção de Conteúdo; treinamentos e reuniões de pauta periódicas, campanhas de valorização da comunicação pública e de popularização da ciência.

Las radios universitarias de México y sus estrategias para comunicar la ciencia en Internet

El presente trabajo muestra un análisis de las estrategias que tienen para comunicarse con su audiencia las radios universitarias de México y evidencia el nivel de incorporación de la web 2.0 a este tipo de medios de corte social y cultural que suman alrededor de 75 en todo el país. En particular se hace una revisión a los programas de comunicación pública de la ciencia y tecnología (pcst), desde sus formatos, creatividad y forma de distribución, que implican la posibilidad de que un usuario lo comparta o escuche a su tiempo y ritmo. Se recurrió para ello a la observación sistemática de cada uno de los sitios web de las emisoras, así como al análisis de contenido de las radios que mantienen en línea productos que divulgan la ciencia. Como resultados observamos que tan solo el 14 % ofrece esta posibilidad, y el uso del podcast que tiene ventajas sobre otros, como la sindicación, el almacenamiento y la descarga en dispositivos móviles, se limita a seis casos, cuando significa una de las principales formas de difusión de contenidos, aliado importante de la radio actual.

Facing the challenges of science communication 2.0: quality, credibility and expertise.

What are the key challenges for science communication in the age of digital media? Are they entirely new or rather occurring in a different communicative context of longstanding issues pertaining to the credibility and reliability of information and the role of experts? Mystification for propaganda, also involving scientific content and scientists themselves, has certainly not been introduced with the internet. In a context of ‘crisis of mediators’, the quality of public communication of science is – even more than in the past – highly dependent on the quality of research produced and published in specialised contexts. New research is increasingly pushed in real time into the public domain without being ‘filtered’, as was the case in the past decades, by professional mediators and popularisers. This inevitably connects science communication at large with trends causing major concerns in the world of research policy and academic publishing: e.g. a significant rise in retractions, the emergence of ‘predatory journals’, and lack of and failure in replicating studies. The contemporary communicative landscape clearly places new and greater responsibility on researchers and their institutions, who are increasingly active in communication to the ‘end‐user’ and not always prepared to deal with the dynamics and potential risks of such engagement. More in general, we could see in this landscape relevant challenges for science in society research and opportunities to rethink some of the key concepts in this area.

European Action Plans for Science–Society Relations: Changing Buzzwords, Changing the Agenda

This project began with the changes in the names of the European Commission’s action plans for the relationship between science and society. Analysing the main relevant documents in the last four European science policy framework programmes (FP5, FP6, FP7, H2020), we asked how much terminologies, meanings, and foci of attention have changed. A more detailed look confirms the growing importance attached to this area of intervention and the transformation in the priorities and conceptions orienting these policies. This gradual change not only largely reflects the academic debates on the need for more participatory and dialogical ways of bringing science and society closer together, but also poses new challenges when interpreting the ultimate goals and potential implications of the plans. Issues of governance of science and the transformation of scientific institutions are gaining ground compared to those of science education and public communication of science. Equally clear is the progressive incorporation of the questions of innovation and the markets into this area of political action, in a way reconfiguring the balance between aims related with democracy and participation, on the one hand, and economic competitiveness on the other. The range of social actors involved in these actions has also changed. Employing a discourse that is often vague, these plans tend to call for a certain de-differentiation of the roles traditionally attributed to the various institutions (scientific, political, business, media), valuing some, omitting others, and repositioning several.

Investigadores sociales, divulgación y construcción de una agenda política en problemáticas de género en Argentina: el caso de la Campaña Nacional por el Derecho al Aborto Legal, Seguro y Gratuito

This paper analyzes the role of researchers from the social sciences and humanities as interlocutors of issues that are publicly problematized so as to enter the legislative agenda of governments. The theoretical framework is based on three axes: the question of politicized and mobile social science, the public communication of science and the public problems approach. A case study was carried out: the activity of the National Campaign for the Right to Legal, Safe and Free Abortion in Argentina and the parliamentary treatment of the draft Law of Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy in the Chamber of Deputies. The parliamentary debate was developed in 15 public debate sessions. We investigated the arguments in favor of the project. Specifically, the focus is placed on presentations made from the social sciences and humanities. Three questions guided our research: what role did academics from the social sciences and humanities play in the debate? How many of them also made, during the debate period, some outreach activity besides their participation in the plenary? and, those who carried out dissemination efforts, did they have the support of an intermediary organization?

LA REVISTA ARGENTINA CIENCIA NUEVA (1970-1974): ANÁLISIS DE CONTENIDOS, RECURSOS GRÁFICOS, PUBLICIDAD Y PÚBLICOS

The aim of this paper is to assess the traits of Ciencia Nueva magazine (1970-1974) as a periodical dedicated to public communication of science and science policy in Argentina and Latin America, in order to characterize the scientific communication circuits and reading contract established (Veron, 1985, 1998). We describe the magazine’s regular sections, target audience, use of graphic resources, and advertising. This periodical is a milestone in the development of public communication of science in Argentina and Latin America. Ciencia Nueva was crucial in the consolidation of what would become known as Latin American Thought on Science, Technology and Development. Even now, topics such as (under)development, dependency, autonomy, science and technology policy, higher education, or state intervention in science, are hotly debated in the region. In the ‘70s, Ciencia Nueva helped place these issues into the public agenda. We thus believe this exploratory study can be the onset of deeper analyses on the reading contracts established by past and current publications dedicated to public communication of science, including their political, epistemological and ideological debates.

FAKE PICTURES. FALSIFICACIÓN DE IMÁGENES CIENTÍFICAS Y AVANCES ACTUALES EN EL ANÁLISIS FORENSE. ANÁLISIS DE CASOS

This research is a tour through scientific fraud with special emphasis on the impact that the dissemination of false scientific images has historically had, in order to subsequently make an approximation to the latest advances in techniques of analysis and detection of false images, using two case studies as an example. It is concluded that the use of forensic analysis techniques and image expertise contributes to limiting the current impact that the fake news/fake pictures pandemic is having on all areas of communication in general and, as far as we are concerned in this paper, is becoming increasingly relevant in the research activity and public communication of science.

Getting to Know Science Tweeters: A Pilot Analysis of South African Twitter Users Tweeting about Research Articles

Against the backdrop of the increasing relevance of social media in public science communication and engagement, this study aimed to expand our understanding of the relationships and interactions between social media users and scientific outputs. In order to do so, we explored the identities, characteristics and activities of South African science tweeters (or ZA science tweeters)—i.e. Twitter users in South Africa who tweet about research articles. The growing number of ZA science tweeters, both overall and in relative terms, suggests that Twitter users are increasingly using this social media platform as a tool to share and discuss scientific outputs. ZA science tweeters are actively contributing to the sharing of information about new research articles, but, in line with global trends, the bulk of science tweets amongst South African Twitter users comes from a small number of active tweeters, and only 1% of ZA science tweeters had more than 20,000 followers. About 6.6% of ZA science tweeters are scholars (or researchers) themselves. Compared to science tweeters who are not scholars, the scholar-tweeters sent out tweets about research articles more frequently, are active on Twitter over longer periods of time, publish more original tweets and use hashtags more frequently to increase their engagement on Twitter. In their Twitter bios, these scholars typically use academic terms to describe themselves, thereby presenting themselves as experts on this social media platform. Astronomy, astrophysics, ecology and the environment emerge as the research topics that are most popular amongst ZA science tweeters.