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507 publications found

Nov 18, 2024 Article

Who trusts in scientific research? Cross-national surveys of Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States

by Asako Miura, Mei Yamagata, Jin Higashijima, Toshiya Kobayashi and Masaki Nakamura

In this study, we explored science understanding and attitudes in Japan compared to the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US), examining trust in science versus humanities. Our web-based survey revealed that Japan's research literacy matches its Western counterparts. However, there were notable differences in scientific knowledge depth and public trust in research. Interestingly, higher scientific knowledge correlated with increased trust in research outcomes, a trend not seen in the humanities. In Japan, political ideologies did not significantly influence trust in science or humanities and showed little correlation with scientific knowledge or research literacy. This contrasts with the UK and the US, where political ideology impacts public trust in these fields.

Volume 23 • Issue 08 • 2024

Nov 11, 2024 Article

Narrative misinformation from a credible source can be discredited with counternarrative

by Nathanael Johnson and Glenn Sparks

Former government intelligence officer David Grusch became a hot new topic in the UFO world when he declared that the government was hiding an alien ship crash retrieval program. Can this media coverage be influential in increasing belief in UFOs? And can a credible critic of Grusch's claims successfully negate the impact of the media coverage on the acceptance of misinformation? A three-condition experiment (N\,=\,287) showed that a counternarrative can successfully negate the influence of his claims on conspiratorial beliefs. We suggest that these results have practical implications for journalists in their coverage of controversial claims.

Volume 23 • Issue 08 • 2024

Oct 28, 2024 Article

Characterization of polarized scientific digital messages: a scoping review

by Ana Maria Jucá, Matheus Lotto, Agnes Cruvinel and Thiago Cruvinel

This scoping review elucidated the characteristics of polarized scientific digital messages credited by researchers for studying the impact of content on people's perceptions. Inclusion criteria encompassed discourse and content analysis studies examining the syntactic and lexical features of polarized messages in online science communication, as well as crossover and randomized information intervention studies. Studies without sufficient detail for data extraction or that did not address message characteristics were excluded. After these exclusions, 10 studies were evaluated for the outcomes. Characteristics of polarized messages were observed to include topic dependency, single viewpoint, discredit of opposing views, emphasis on the minority and flaws of concurrent discourses, and uses of assertive statements, intensifiers, controversy, partisanship, skepticism, sarcasm, vague lexicons, and expert opinion support. As a result, we propose a system of codification for identifying and characterizing polarized discourses in science communication digital messages that can be employed in further content analysis studies.

Volume 23 • Issue 08 • 2024

Oct 21, 2024 Article

The coverage of basic and applied research in press releases on EurekAlert!

by Jingwen Zhang, Marina Joubert, Jonathan Dudek and Rodrigo Costas

Research organisations routinely reach out to the media via press releases to announce research news and promote advances in science. This paper explores the presence of basic and applied research in press releases issued through EurekAlert!. Using a scientometric approach to classify research papers featured in press releases into basic and applied research, we found that more than half of the press releases in our dataset were related to basic research. This trend was particularly notable in life and earth sciences, physical sciences, and engineering fields. In contrast, press releases in the biomedical and health sciences, as well as in social sciences and humanities, were more frequently associated with applied research. Additionally, we present findings on the similarity and readability of press releases compared to their corresponding research papers, which confirm the role of institutional press officers in making research papers more accessible to the public and media. This adaptation appears to be more pronounced for basic research.

Volume 23 • Issue 07 • 2024 • Special Issue: Communicating Discovery Science

Oct 21, 2024 Article

Can media inspire public engagement with astronomy? Assessing information modalities and potential mechanisms for inspiration in a basic science context

by Matthew S. VanDyke and Sara K. Yeo

Although many science communicators strive to inspire audiences, scant research has sought to understand how media may evoke inspiration. The present study was a three-condition (modality: text-only, audio-only, and audiovisual) between-subjects experiment examining how media content about the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) motivated participants’ feeling moved, awe, curiosity, rumination, and their inspiration state. The findings revealed no statistical difference between using text or audio content, but that audiovisual content can hinder rumination if self-transcendent emotions are not induced. Findings revealed that content leading participants to feeling moved and experiencing awe should lead to reflective thought, and ultimately, feelings of inspiration.

Volume 23 • Issue 07 • 2024 • Special Issue: Communicating Discovery Science

Oct 21, 2024 Article

Promoting the Higgs boson as `discovery science' news: exploring the boundary spanner functions of CERN communication professionals'

by Jamie Dorey, Richard Holliman, Eileen Scanlon, James Gillies and Ana Godinho

The announcement of the discovery of the Higgs boson at CERN marked a groundbreaking achievement in Mode 1 'discovery science'. We combined analyses of CERN strategic documents and organisational structures with ethnographic observations of, and interviews with, communication professionals. Our findings show that promotion of this 'Mode 1' discovery, in combination with the potential for longer-term 'Mode 2' innovation, was a strategic priority for CERN, but highlighted operational challenges for coordination between scientists and journalists. We conclude that CERN communication professionals played an essential boundary spanning role, brokering solutions and maintaining relations across borders and between relevant constituencies.

Volume 23 • Issue 07 • 2024 • Special Issue: Communicating Discovery Science

Oct 14, 2024 Article

Surfing the COVID-19 news waves: a Belgian case study of science communication and public relations with university press releases

by Miguel Vissers, Steve Paulussen and Gert-Jan de Bruijn

Press releases remain an important link between academia and the media. While science communication is a goal of universities, public relations is also becoming increasingly salient. The press release, as a significant tool for both science communication and institutional public relations, means that the fields are entwined, prompting us to propose viewing science communication and public relations on a continuum. Based on a quantitative content analysis of all press releases sent out by a Belgian university during the COVID-19 pandemic we show what this university communicates about and identify how science communication can be used for public relation purposes and vice versa.

Volume 23 • Issue 06 • 2024

Oct 09, 2024 Article

How to make sense of generative AI as a science communication researcher? A conceptual framework in the context of critical engagement with scientific information

by Inbal Klein-Avraham, Esther Greussing, Monika Taddicken, Shakked Dabran-Zivan, Evelyn Jonas and Ayelet Baram-Tsabari

A guiding theory for a continuous and cohesive discussion regarding generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in science communication is still unavailable. Here, we propose a framework for characterizing, evaluating, and comparing AI-based information technologies in the context of critical engagement with scientific information in online environments. Hierarchically constructed, the framework observes technological properties, user experience, content presentation, and the context in which the technology is being used. Understandable and applicable for non-experts in AI systems, the framework affords a holistic yet practical assessment of various AI-based information technologies, providing both a reflection aid and a conceptual baseline for scholarly references.

Volume 23 • Issue 06 • 2024

Oct 02, 2024 Article

“Giving them the best information I could with whatever I had at hand”. Physicians' online health communication practices in a post-normal science context

by Lucía Céspedes, Alice Fleerackers and Lauren A. Maggio

This study describes US-based physicians' online public communication practices, particularly on the social media platform Twitter/X, during the COVID-19 pandemic. We draw on 28 semi-structured interviews to examine how they responded to the unique COVID-19 context with respect to each of the four features of post-normal science (PNS): facts uncertain, values in dispute, stakes high, and decisions urgent. Our analysis reveals that the pandemic shifted what, why, and how physicians used the platform, and with whom they aimed to communicate. We discuss the implications of these changes in their online communication habits, discourses, and representations around social media as a reaction to the context of PNS brought about by the pandemic.

Volume 23 • Issue 06 • 2024

Sep 23, 2024 Article

Uncivil communication and epistemic trustworthiness concerns in public online discussions in response to scientists during the Covid-19 pandemic

by Nicola Peters

The Covid-19 pandemic illustrated important developments in science communication, with direct online interactions between scientists and the public. This study performs a content analysis of tweets (“N” = 6,000) directed at German virologists (“N” = 6) during the pandemic’s first year. It identifies substantial levels of incivility and trustworthiness concerns, which often co-occurred. These findings enhance our understanding of online communication dynamics in crises by showing how incivility and trustworthiness concerns are not only prevalent but also evolve in response to specific events and phases. This analysis provides insight into the complexities of public sentiment toward scientists during the pandemic.

Volume 23 • Issue 06 • 2024