Filter by keyword: Science communication in the developing world

Oct 14, 2026 Practice Insight

Puerta Politécnica al Cosmos: understanding programme implementation in an itinerant science popularisation initiative in peri-urban Mexico

by Ma. Luisa Montes-Rojas , Felipe Caballero Briones , Dr David Alonso Leija Roman

Although itinerant science popularisation initiatives extend opportunities for public engagement beyond established science communication infrastructure, limited empirical evidence exists on how programme implementation is shaped under peri-urban conditions. This Practice Insight examines Puerta Politécnica al Cosmos, an itinerant astronomy programme in north-eastern Mexico, as an instrumental case for identifying recurring implementation conditions from which analytically transferable implementation insights were derived. We employed a convergent mixed-methods design integrating visitor surveys (N = 404), collaborator surveys (N = 30) and semi-structured student interviews (N = 40) through analytical triangulation. We identified four interdependent implementation conditions demonstrating how educational experiences, organisational coordination, participant engagement and territorial context interacted throughout programme delivery. These conditions revealed implementation trade-offs associated with accessibility, logistics, visitor management and technical infrastructure. The study demonstrates how analytical triangulation can generate implementation knowledge that provides the basis for analytically transferable implementation insights to inform the planning, adaptation, delivery and evaluation of itinerant science popularisation initiatives in peri-urban and other territorially underserved communities.

Volume 25Issue 72026

Jul 13, 2026 Article

Effective communication of popular science short video in public health crisis: a grounded theory study on Chinese social media

by Qingyang Chen

Social media made a huge transition in science communication during the public health crises. Social media amplified the audience communication effect of popular science short videos and played a positive role in containing epidemics and stabilizing social sentiment. The purpose of this article is to investigate the effective communication and alignment mechanism of popular science short videos on social media. Applying grounded theory and combining case studies with interviews, this article investigates the factors that influence the effective communication of popular science short videos on social media platforms in China during public health crises. The research identifies audience demand, content quality, platform diversity, and media matrix integration as key factors driving effective communication during public health crises. This study attempts to thoroughly examine the communication process of popular science short videos and propose further suggestions for the future development of popular science media.

Volume 25Issue 52026Transitions in Science Communication: Continuity and Change (PCST 2025)

Jul 13, 2026 Practice Insight

Including lived experience voices in science communication to combat mental illness stigma: insights from India

by Kadambari Patil , Anushka Banerjee , Imtiaz Zafar , Ipsa Jain , Meghna Prakash , Dr Pavithra Jayasankar , Ms Varsha Kini , Vasundhra Teotia , Ashitha S Niranjana Murthy , Dr Bhagyalakshmi Mallapura Shankarappa , Swarna Buddha Nayok , Jayant Mahadevan , Suhas Ganesh , Biju Viswanath , Reeteka Sud

Outreach on mental illness presents a unique challenge for science communication, in that it requires approaches to actively address associated stigma. A significant barrier to treatment and recovery, stigma shapes the lives of those diagnosed with mental illnesses alongside their clinical symptoms. Evidence suggests that active involvement of person(s) with lived experience (PwLE) may be a promising strategy to combat stigma. However, such interventions remain under-documented in low- and middle-income countries like India. To address this gap, we designed a series of innovative events, co-produced with PwLE. We engaged approximately 260 participants and displayed 191 creative artefacts. This article presents and reflects on our science communication practices to address mental illness stigma by integrating arts-based participation with principles from contact theory.

Volume 25Issue 52026Transitions in Science Communication: Continuity and Change (PCST 2025)

Jul 08, 2026 Commentary

Scientists under fire: lessons from the Omicron case

by Mrs Kim Darley Waddilove , Nothando Ngwenya , Marina Joubert

Scientists face growing pressure to share their research with the public — an ethical and professional duty that can sometimes lead to public hostility when addressing sensitive, controversial, or unpopular topics. Negative reactions from society, often worsened by social media, threaten not only the scientists themselves but also public trust in science and the integrity of knowledge systems. This commentary presents a case study of two scientists based in southern Africa, Professor Tulio de Oliveira and Professor Sikhulile Moyo, who identified the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in November 2021. After sharing their findings with the relevant authorities, they encountered a wave of public criticism and abuse. Using insights from interviews with these scientists, we examine the different forms of this abuse, its impact, and the coping strategies they employed. We highlight the broader lessons this case offers for contemporary science communication, arguing that protecting scientists who face public backlash when sharing their research is essential for safeguarding science as a whole. We also suggest ways individuals, institutions, and the scientific community can create more supportive research environments for scientists working on potentially sensitive political or social issues.

Volume 25Issue 42026

Jun 08, 2026 Practice Insight

Archival exhibitions as science communication: lessons from the KHARINA case (Indonesia)

by Dwi Ridho Aulianto

This article presents a practice insight into the role of archival exhibitions as instruments of science communication, focusing on the KHARINA Exhibition (Khazanah Arsip Riset dan Inovasi Nasional) organised by Indonesia's National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). KHARINA consolidates archival collections from legacy institutions to narrate milestones in the nation's research and innovation history. A thematic content analysis of seven curated collections revealed three dominant patterns: (1) a strong emphasis on technological and administrative documentation, (2) evidence of both international and domestic collaboration, and (3) limited representation of social and human-interest narratives. These findings illustrate KHARINA's dual contribution: safeguarding national achievements in science and technology while also exposing inclusivity gaps that limit accessibility for non-specialist audiences. The article highlights lessons for science communication practice, particularly the importance of integrating community perspectives and participatory documentation to complement technical and policy records. The KHARINA case demonstrates how archival exhibitions in developing-country contexts can contribute to science communication, cultural diplomacy, and the construction of collective memory, while pointing to pathways for more inclusive and engaging curatorial strategies.

Volume 25Issue 42026

Mar 16, 2026 Commentary

The politics of (mis)trust: reframing science communication in a polarized Brazil

by Luiz Felipe Fernandes Neves , Vanessa Oliveira Fagundes , Luisa Massarani

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed tensions between science, politics, and public trust in Brazil. Amid the rise of far-right populism, denialist narratives, and disinformation, scientific evidence became entangled in ideological disputes. Drawing on studies of media coverage, social media dynamics, and public perception of science, this commentary argues that traditional deficit-model approaches are insufficient in polarized contexts. Rebuilding trust requires rethinking science communication as a democratic and culturally embedded practice, grounded in dialogue, empathy, and participation. Strengthening institutional communication, engaging diverse actors, and recognizing multiple knowledge systems are essential to restoring public relevance and legitimacy of science.

Volume 25Issue 12026

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 25Issue 22026Science communication in Unexpected Places (Unexpected places)

Dec 16, 2024 Article

How different science communicators use identity strategies to gain public trust: a study on astronomy and climate change issues on a Chinese knowledge sharing platform

by Zheng Yang , Yuanting Huang , Tao Yang , Taoran Yu

Science communication has seen a trend of diverse communicators in recent decades, who adopt different identity strategies to gain audience trust. This study focuses on the strategies used by three different groups of science communicators, including scientists, citizens and institutions, as well as the potential effects that may arise from these different strategies in terms of audience trust through quantitative content analysis. The findings show that communicators have biases towards using different strategies. There are also significant differences in the trust effects generated by different strategies used by different science communicators in different science topics. This indicates that the effect of science communication varies for different groups of science communicators and different science topics, and it is difficult to generate a universally applicable model, which further corresponds to the current trend of ‘diversification’ and ‘contextualization’ in science communication research.

Volume 23Issue 092024Special Issue: Public (dis)trust in science in digital media environments (Trust in science)

Dec 16, 2024 Practice Insight

Harnessing multimodal and multilingual science communication to combat misinformation in a diverse country setting

by Kim Trollip , Michael Gastrow , Shandir Ramlagan , Yolande Shean

This practice insight explores how translation and multimedia formats, such as video and audio, can enhance science communication efforts to combat community-driven misinformation and build trust within communities. Focusing on a national HIV survey, it details strategies for countering misinformation spread via platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, which falsely accused data collectors of criminal activity. The research team’s response included multilingual, multimodal digital communication and community engagement, demonstrating the effectiveness of this blended approach in restoring trust and dispelling misinformation in diverse social and linguistic settings.

Volume 23Issue 092024Special Issue: Public (dis)trust in science in digital media environments (Trust in science)

Dec 16, 2024 Article

(Un)certainty in science and climate change: a longitudinal analysis (2014–2022) of narratives about climate science on social media in Brazil (Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter)

by Roberta Lima , Andre L. Belem , Diógenes Lycarião , Thaiane Oliveira , Simone Evangelista , Luisa Massarani , Marcelo Alves

This article examines climate change discourse on Brazilian social media from 2014 to 2022 and use a longitudinal approach, analyzing discourse, scientific authority, and eco-emotions on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Methods include TF-IDF for feature extraction, sentiment analysis with VADER, and Named Entity Recognition (NER). A Ridge Classifier was trained on 557 manually classified samples. Findings show no significant increase in challenges to scientific authority or skepticism, but reveal a subtle shift towards using uncertainty as a rhetorical tool to undermine trust in scientific discourse.

Volume 23Issue 092024Special Issue: Public (dis)trust in science in digital media environments (Trust in science)

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