Filter by keyword: Public engagement with science and technology

Publications including this keyword are listed below.

327 publications found

Mar 18, 2026 Article

Public perceptions and information sources on genetically modified organisms in Kenya

by Julia Njagi, Brian Abook and Dorington Ogoyi

Public attitudes toward genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Kenya remain mixed due to limited knowledge, policy gaps, and cultural factors. Despite the 2020 commercialisation of Bt cotton, perceptions of GM technologies are largely unfavourable. This study surveyed 416 respondents across 14 counties to assess awareness and knowledge levels of GMOs. Results showed 49% support GMOs, 27% are uncertain, and 24% oppose them. Misconceptions persist, with 49.3% citing size and 22.4% recognising labelling as a means of identifying GMOs. Awareness of GMO commercialisation was low (24%), though nearly half correctly identified Bt cotton as an approved GMO, and 32.7% unaware of any institution carrying out GM research. Education significantly influenced acceptance ($\chi^2$ = 68.322, p 0.001). Radio was the most trusted information source (29.3%), and scientists were the most credible (46.4%). The findings underscore the need for targeted public communication strategies to address misinformation and enhance understanding of biosafety and biotechnology in Kenya.

Volume 25 • Issue 1 • 2026

Mar 16, 2026 Commentary

Reshaping science communication in a critical period of disinformation and distrust

by Carolina Moreno-Castro

I was invited by my colleagues, Leßmöllmann and Medvecky, to participate in a set of commentaries on the role of science communication in the post-truth era, which will be published in the Journal of Science Communication. My reflection will focus on how reshaping and promoting official or governmental science communication could help minimise the impact of misinformation on science-related issues, such as climate change, vaccines and artificial intelligence, among others, in the public sphere. Although European and Western governments have increasingly embraced the integration of science communication as a structural and ethical component of their public information strategies, these efforts have mainly centred on fostering dissemination practices led by individual researchers or research teams. However, this approach often overlooks the equally critical role of institutional communication systems, which are incapable of translating scientific knowledge into clear, accessible and actionable information for the broader public. This omission becomes particularly salient during crises when citizens actively seek guidance grounded in scientific evidence and are frequently met with institutional silence, ambiguity or poorly coordinated messaging.

Volume 25 • Issue 1 • 2026

Mar 16, 2026 Commentary

Does science communication have its goals wrong? From persuading science skeptics to promoting scientific empowerment

by Anne Toomey and Kevin C. Elliott

There is widespread concern that the scientific enterprise is under attack, fuelled by misinformation campaigns, anti-intellectual political leaders, and growing public skepticism. In response, many scientists are mobilising to “stand up for science,” hoping to persuade publics of the many public health, technological, and economic benefits brought by scientific discoveries. In this commentary, we argue that such persuasion-based science communication approaches are neither effective nor appropriate because they neglect the role that values play in people's perceptions of and experiences with science. We propose shifting our focus to scientific empowerment, which we define as the ability and agency to inform and influence one's life through skills, knowledge, opportunities, experiences, and resources related to science. We argue that scientific empowerment can provide a practical means of acting upon one's values, foregrounding people's questions and concerns about science, rather than focusing on a battle about whose facts can be believed.

Volume 25 • Issue 1 • 2026

Mar 16, 2026 Commentary

From facts to stage: rethinking science communication as theatrical performance

by Michiel van Oudheusden and Willemine Willems

Facts may have been declared dead, yet many science communicators continue to fight to keep them alive. At the same time, it is increasingly clear that preserving facts alone is not enough. To secure a meaningful place for science in today's world, science communicators must also develop new strategies that go beyond defending facts to fostering trust and engagement. They must fully embrace the `post-post truth' condition, in which the blurring of fact and opinion has become deeply entrenched in public discourse; and where many no longer know – or care — what constitutes truth. This can be achieved by rethinking science communication as performance beyond content delivery. This means creating aesthetic, existential, sensorial, and other experiences that make engagement with science more about relationships and identity, and less about establishing a common ground of truth. We illustrate what this approach looks like through the Theatre Dialogues of Dissent — a Dutch science communication project on the polarisation surrounding climate change.

Volume 25 • Issue 1 • 2026

Mar 02, 2026 Article

Perceptions and values of Spanish women scientists towards digital science communication

by Rosana Villares, Carmen Pérez-Llantada and Oana Maria Carciu

The digitalisation of science communication has been widely promoted within the Open Science movement in Europe to foster the social impact of research, as well as a more participatory culture of science. Using semi-structured interviews, we explore Spanish women scientists' values and perceptions regarding digital science communication. Results highlight the social value of science communication as well as intrinsic motivation as factors to actively engage in disseminating, educating and promoting science digitally. Adopting Open Science principles, participants craft open access multimodal materials (e.g., educational short videos, podcasts), use supporting multimodal resources and digital tools, and engage in social media to reach broad audiences. Finally, we propose some policy recommendations and pedagogical guidelines in terms of digital literacy, digital genres, and science accommodation strategies to promote digital science communication.

Volume 25 • Issue 1 • 2026

Feb 11, 2026 Editorial

Editorial | Science Communication pursing the “unexpected places”

by Fabio Ribeiro, Sónia Silva and Thaiane Oliveira

Space is also communication. Widely regarded as an urban and daily space philosopher, Henri Lefebvre (1974) argued that space, as a physical dimension, is a shared platform to induce ower and lifestyle options, through a general social agreement. As such, Lefebreve proposed three perspectives: 1) conceived space (planned, technical, institutional); 2) perceived space (deeply rooted in daily practices); 3) living spaces (associated with symbolic and sentimental experiences). Years later, Michel de Certeau’s (1980) proposition of space as a “stable order”, “planned” and practice-oriented was then also studied by Marc Augé (1992), suggesting the concept of “non-places”, defined as the total absence of identity, relationships and historical meaning. Airports, shopping centres, hotels, walking circuits, just to name a few, were the symbol of such a lack of interaction, guided by visual and informative signs. Circulation, income and consumption are the key figures of these “non-spaces”.

Volume 25 • Issue 2 • 2026 • Science communication in Unexpected Places (Unexpected places)

Feb 11, 2026 Article

Back for the future: public engagement with climate science through a multimodal STEM escape room

by Amanda Jane Mathieson, Edward Duca and Joseph Roche

Research has explored escape rooms for their education potential but there is a notable lack of literature in the public engagement context. This paper illustrates findings from three editions of Back for the Future, a climate-themed STEM escape room delivered both online and in person, with and without COVID-19 restrictions. We demonstrate that escape rooms can engage those who normally do not seek out science in an enjoyable experience that may foster future engagement. Players become immersed in the game environment, losing track of time and can succeed in the activity regardless of their science background. We also propose that self-determination theory, science capital and flow are beneficial concepts for designing games that enhance engagement for a variety of audience groups. Finally, we hope to provide useful and generalisable recommendations for delivering impactful STEM escape rooms in unexpected places (and perhaps with unexpected limitations).

Volume 25 • Issue 2 • 2026 • Science communication in Unexpected Places (Unexpected places)

Feb 11, 2026 Article

Engaging science: audience perceptions of informal science communication on Arabic YouTube channels

by Omar Daoudi and Muhammad Awais

This study investigates the emotional and cognitive responses of Arabic-speaking audiences to informal science communication on YouTube. Focusing on three prominent Arabic YouTube channels that provide science content, @Da7ee7, @NidhalG, and @Espitalia, the study analyzes their communication styles to explore how stylistic differences shape audience engagement and perception. The study classifies the channels into three distinct communicative styles; humorous, academic, and conversational to examine variation in audience responses. Employing computational content analysis, the study applies LDA topic modeling and sentiment analysis to examine emotional and cognitive engagement in user comments. Results show that humorous content is associated with stronger positive emotions and cognitive activation, whereas academic and conversational styles evoke more mixed reactions. Topics like space science and artificial intelligence elicit complex emotions such as confusion and admiration. Addressing a key gap in Arabic-language science communication, the study reveals how style and topic shape public engagement in culturally specific digital spaces.

Volume 25 • Issue 2 • 2026 • Science communication in Unexpected Places (Unexpected places)

Feb 11, 2026 Article

Improvised theatre for public engagement with the climate crisis in rural Irish communities

by Claire A. Murray Dr, Gesche Kindermann Dr, Paola Serrano Bravo, Katy Schutte, Fergus McAuliffe, Amanda Jane Mathieson, Ruth Graham and Jessamyn A. Fairfield

Engaging the public with the climate crisis has proven challenging due to both the technical complexity of the issue and the strong emotions evoked. “Doom and gloom” approaches run the risk of provoking backlash, despair or overwhelm, none of which support constructive action. Here we used unscripted theatre to make room for both scientific content and affective responses, towards enhancing agency in rural communities at the greatest risk of negative impacts from climate change, who are often excluded from scientific, engagement, and policy discussions. We developed a travelling improvised theatre show called ‘We Built This City on Rock and Coal’ that toured diverse Irish coastal and island communities. Mixed methods evaluation showed that self-efficacy of improvisers, scientists, and audience members on the topic of climate change increased after taking part, demonstrating the viability of improvised theatre as a science communication strategy and methodology for co-created engagement with societal challenges.

Volume 25 • Issue 2 • 2026 • Science communication in Unexpected Places (Unexpected places)

Feb 11, 2026 Article

Cultural and communicative pathways in grassroots science and innovation: field research learnings from under-resourced rural India

by Uttaran Dutta

This article examines grassroots innovation in under-resourced regions of rural India, where science communication emerges through culturally resonant and locally grounded practices in informal settings. Drawing on fieldwork with youth and students in underserved communities, the study foregrounds human ingenuity and participatory engagement that organically co-create context-specific solutions. Challenging linear, expert-driven paradigms, it advances a community-centered framework and highlights the potential of informal contexts — marked by linguistic diversity, trust deficits, and infrastructural limitations — to foster alternative modes of science communication. Informed by Indigenous methodologies and decolonial insights, the research critiques top-down models of knowledge transfer and advocates for inclusive, dialogic, and place-based approaches. Integrating insights from communication, cultural, and design studies, the article positions science communication as an equitable and co-creative process. By centering marginalized voices and alternative epistemologies, it reimagines science engagement as a transformative and empowering practice that connects scientific inquiry to lived experience in unexpected yet vital ways.

Volume 25 • Issue 2 • 2026 • Science communication in Unexpected Places (Unexpected places)