Publications

Date of publication Mar 21, 2004 Category: Editorial

Science and the international public opinion

by Pietro Greco

On 16 January 2004, the United Nations Secretary-General and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan launched a Global Media Aids Initiative, with the aim of convincing the press, radio, television and Internet to join the fight against what has been called the "forgotten disease of the forgotten continent". Throughout the world, over 40 million people have the Hiv virus. In 2003 there were 5 million new infections and 3 million deaths were caused by Aids.

Volume 3Issue 012004
Date of publication Mar 21, 2004 Category: Focus

The public way to peer-review

by Nico Pitrelli

There is a substantial divergence between the standards of integrity associated with "good science" and the problems imposed by the conflict of interest on research, specially in the biomedical field. There are at least as many ways in which information may be altered and the production of new scientific knowledge may be affected as there are links that can be established between researchers, private companies, and editors and staff of the specialized press. The pressures resulting from this high number of connections can affect all stages of research, from trial design to data analysis, from result publishing and dissemination to who will be the author of the articles.

Volume 3Issue 012004
Date of publication Mar 21, 2004 Category: Article

Popularised science communication modes in Italian popular science magazines (1788-2002)

by Enrica Battifoglia

Analysis of popular science magazines can offer a significant contribution to the study of the history of science popularisation and the relation between the language of science and everyday language in Italy. This paper reconstructs the history of science popularisation through analysis of popular science magazines published in Italy from 1788 to date. The material examined consists of 80 popular science magazines covering various scientific disciplines, reporting current issues and targeted at a non-specialist public. Such material had never been gathered and organised in a systematic way before. The analysis did not take into account academic scientific journals which generally cover a single discipline and use technical language or high-quality science popularisation journals which also use specialist language. The element that all 80 magazines have in common is the use of non-technical, easily understandable language for a public that does not possess any specialist scientific knowledge. The analysis of the material offers an overview of the scientific disciplines that have been covered more extensively in popular science magazines from the end of the 18th century to date. In addition, it shows how priorities in coverage changed in different historical periods and how a variety of science communication modes have been established over time.

Volume 3Issue 012004
Date of publication Mar 21, 2004 Category: Focus

Conflicting interests: research, profits, information, health

by Giancarlo Sturloni , Nico Pitrelli

On 15 September 2001, thirteen major international journals, coordinated by the International Committee of Medical Journals Editors (ICMJE), published a joint editorial titled "Sponsorship, authorship, and accountability". Unfortunately, only four days from the tragedy of 9-11, there is no room in the media for other news. In the scientific world, however, the content of that editorial sets off an alarm: the conflict of interest undermines the objectivity of biomedical research and the credibility of international journals vouchsafeing the quality of that research. (Translated by Andrea Cavatorti, Scuola Superiore di Lingue Moderne per Interpreti e Traduttori, Trieste, Italy.)

Volume 3Issue 012004
Date of publication Mar 21, 2004 Category: Letter

The Audioteca RAI's archives between memory and information technology

by Annalina Ferrante

Volume 3Issue 012004
Date of publication Mar 21, 2004 Category: Focus

Anything to declare? Border stories on the conflict of interest

by Giancarlo Sturloni

On September 15, 2001, a joint editorial simultaneously published in thirteen medical journals, pointed an accusing finger at the increasing pressures coming from the pharmaceutical industry. During past decades, a key role in trial design and conduct was played by independent clinical investigators working in academic medical centres. They were also able to vouchsafe the quality of their research, which might not, however, be the case in the future.

Volume 3Issue 012004
Date of publication Mar 21, 2004 Category: Commentary

Metaphors and science communication

by Alessandro Pascolini

Against the metaphor
by Marco Fabbrichesi

Elements for a geography of the metaphor in science
by Elena Joli

Metaphor and approximation of the world
by Daniele Gouthier

The metaphors, Golden Gates that move the categories of our world
by Stefania Coluccia

Volume 3Issue 012004
Date of publication Dec 21, 2003 Category: Focus

Hinari and Agora: free access to scientific information for poor countries

by Elisabetta Tola

In the midst of a debate on access to information, the World Health Organization and the FAO have decided to develop a strategy to guarantee the right of poor countries to have free access to scientific publications. This right is often denied, mainly because of high subscription costs. For this reason, universities and research centres in southern countries must forego buying magazines, which are a valuable instrument for updating, and exchanging information on research and scientific issues. This choice has been made in an historical period when the industrialized world is marked by a knowledge-based economy.

Volume 2Issue 042003
Date of publication Dec 21, 2003 Category: Focus

For free access to scientific information

by Mauro Scanu

Science was born when knowledge was no longer kept secret and became public. Its development is inextricably tied to the possibility that researchers continue to share the results of their discoveries as easily as possible. These are the points on which the concept of access to scientific information is based and on which the scientific community has founded its model of communication. However, there are currently numerous obstacles, mostly economic, preventing researchers from being real actors in the creation, control and verification process of scientific knowledge. Despite the technologies made available by the Internet, free access to scientific information continues to be limited by the cost of magazines and the opposition by the publishers. Hence, scientists have promoted an increasing number of initiatives with a view to re-confirming the principles of open access.

Volume 2Issue 042003
Date of publication Dec 21, 2003 Category: Editorial

The Scanzano lesson

by Pietro Greco

The incident of Scanzano Jonico, in Italy's Basilicata region, has been something more than a lesson for those who handle the relationships between science and society. During November and December 2003 in this small southern Italian town a theory has been proven false. According to this theory, in the modern world, the best way to solve the problems put before society by science and technology would be for the experts to discuss them behind closed doors.

Volume 2Issue 042003

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