Publications

Date of publication Sep 22, 2014 Category: Article

Is it my responsibility or theirs? Risk communication about antibiotic resistance in the Swedish daily press

by Gustav Bohlin , Gunnar E. Höst

Antibiotic resistance is an increasing global threat involving many actors, including the general public. We present findings from a content analysis of the coverage of antibiotic resistance in the Swedish print media with respect to the risk communication factors cause, magnitude and countermeasures. The most commonly reported cause of development and spread of resistance was unnecessary prescription of antibiotics. Risk magnitudes were mostly reported qualitatively rather than using quantitative figures. Risk-reduction measures were analyzed using a framework that distinguishes between personal and societal efficacy. Measures at the societal level were more commonly reported compared to the individual level.

Volume 13Issue 032014
Date of publication Sep 22, 2014 Category: Article

Science blogging: an exploratory study of motives, styles, and audience reactions

by Merja Mahrt , Cornelius Puschmann

This paper presents results from three studies on science blogging, the use of blogs for science communication. A survey addresses the views and motives of science bloggers, a first content analysis examines material published in science blogging platforms, while a second content analysis looks at reader responses to controversial issues covered in science blogs. Bloggers determine to a considerable degree which communicative function their blog can realize and how accessible it will be to non-experts Frequently readers are interested in adding their views to a post, a form of involvement which is in turn welcomed by the majority of bloggers.

Volume 13Issue 032014
Date of publication Sep 22, 2014 Category: Book Review

Book Review

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Who’s Asking? Native Science, Western Science, and Science Education
by Emily Dawson

Volume 13Issue 032014
Date of publication Sep 22, 2014 Category: Article

Films and Science: quantification and analysis of the use of Science Fiction films in scientific papers

by Luciano Guillermo Levin , Daniela De Filippo

The purpose of this study is to quantify the use of science fiction films in academic papers as well as to analyse the patterns of use of those films indexed in international databases, using the ISI Web of Science database. Twenty films were selected from recognised sources. Films referenced in the scientific literature were detected and, with quantitative methodologies, we classified their genres, the journals of publication and the disciplines they belong to. Finally, we performed a detailed study of each paper in which selected films were found, to observe and categorise specifically the ways such film references are used.

Volume 13Issue 032014
Date of publication Sep 22, 2014 Category: Article

War, anxiety, optimism and triumph: a study on science in the main Brazilian TV news

by Yuri Castelfranchi , Luisa Massarani , Marina Ramalho

We analysed the representations of science and of scientists at Jornal Nacional, the main Brazilian TV news. We carried out content and frames analysis, besides the lexical and semantic analysis of the transcriptions of the science and technology stories. Our results show a narrative that highlights the novelties and the epopee of the scientific advance, mainly in the health field. But to the emotional palette feelings of combat, anxiety and triumph were added. The face of the scientist presented by the TV news is mainly masculine, suggesting a stereotyped role of the male and female scientist: meanwhile men go out to literally explore other worlds, women take care of health and of the body.

Volume 13Issue 032014
Date of publication Sep 22, 2014 Category: Conference Review

Conference Review

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PCST 2014
by Helen Featherstone

Observations of PCST2014
by Nancy Longnecker

Communicating Science for social inclusion and political engagement: reflections on the PCST Conference, Brazil 2014
by Astrid Treffry-Goatley

Volume 13Issue 032014
Date of publication Sep 22, 2014 Category: Article

Types of knowledge in science-based practices

by Nelius Boshoff

Science communication as an interdisciplinary field of study has always been concerned with issues of knowledge utilisation. This theoretical paper focusses on the “knowledge” part of knowledge utilisation and provides a conceptual frame to distinguish between different types of knowledge in science-based practice. A practitioner’s knowledge store is portrayed as a dense set of personal knowledge, consisting of procedural knowledge, factual knowledge, potential factual knowledge and opinions/beliefs; the totality of which is continuously refined through more experiences and additional information received from people, documents or events. Implications for future studies of knowledge utilisation in science-based practices are highlighted and a number of questions posed to science communication as a profession.

Volume 13Issue 032014
Date of publication May 06, 2014 Category: Editorial

Shared spaces: a future for JCOM

by Emma Weitkamp

As academic communities across the globe are increasingly encouraged to share their knowledge outside the ivory towers of academia, it becomes ever more important to create a bridge that crosses continents and disciplinary boundaries. Sitting, as it does, at the nexus between science communication practice and research, JCOM has a vital role to play as just such a knowledge sharing platform.

Volume 13Issue 022014
Date of publication May 06, 2014 Category: Commentary

Socially inclusive science communication

by Luisa Massarani , Matteo Merzagora

Social inclusion is an emerging preoccupation in the science communication field. The political value of science communication (e.g. in terms of empowerment) and the necessity to address all audiences has always been considered, but in recent times the participation agenda has enriched the rationale and methodologies of the communication of science: social inclusion is not only an issue of access to knowledge, but also of governance and co-production.

Reframing social exclusion from science communication: moving away from ‘barriers’ towards a more complex perspective
by Emily Dawson

Knowledge◦rooms — science communication in local, welcoming spaces to foster social inclusion
by Barbara Streicher, Kathrin Unterleitner and Heidrun Schulze

Science Centers. Which role can they play to participate in a city social reconstruction?
by Claudia Aguirre Rios

Straight into conflict zones, scientific research empowers the minds
by Leïla Perié, Livio Riboli-Sasco and Claire Ribrault

Volume 13Issue 022014
Date of publication Apr 08, 2014 Category: Article

Framing engagement: expert-youth interaction in a PES event

by Sampsa Saikkonen , Esa Valiverronen

Previous studies on public engagement with science have identified various difficulties in the encounters between experts and lay people. However, there is a scarcity of research investigating expert-youth interaction. In this paper we focus on the interactive framings of an informal PES event. Based on a case study involving a climate change panel discussion and a simultaneous online chat, both aimed at young people, we discuss the multiplicity of framing. Further, we look for “misbehaviours” which challenge the rationality and norms of the event. Our findings indicate that the frame of deliberative participation is very fragile.

Volume 13Issue 022014

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