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Aug 20, 2026 Book Review

Review of the European Commission Joint Research Centre report on trustworthy public communication

The Joint Research Centre's recent report offers communicators ten actionable recommendations organised around a “trustworthiness-first” principle: that communicators should build trust by being trustworthy rather than by deploying trust-building as a strategic technique. The report draws on behavioural science, values-based audience segmentation, and original empirical research, and takes a firm stand against manipulation. Its central weakness is that trustworthiness and trust have a weaker empirical relationship than the report acknowledges: being trustworthy does not reliably produce trust, and can sometimes paradoxically decrease trust Hyde2025,Hyde2026c.

Volume 25Issue 62026

Aug 05, 2026 Book Review

More than dissemination: making research communication a creative practice

by Kristian H. Nielsen

This review examines the second edition of Creative Research Communication by Clare Wilkinson and Emma Weitkamp. The updated edition provides a comprehensive introduction to research communication, combining theoretical perspectives with practical guidance. It covers topics such as public engagement, digital communication, policy engagement, inclusivity, professionalisation and generative AI. The review discusses the book's contribution as an accessible and timely resource for researchers, students and communication professionals.

Volume 25Issue 62026

Jul 01, 2026 Book Review

Bringing the invisible to light: a review of “Invisible Rainbows”

by Andrea Bandelli

Invisible Rainbows is a popular astronomy book by astrophysicist and science journalist Alfredo Carpineti, organised around the electromagnetic spectrum and built around conversations with LGBTQIA+ astronomers from around the world. It is, at the same time, a celebration of modern astronomy and a clear argument about the relationship between science and the society that produces it. The book is rigorous and warm in equal measure, never letting one undermine the other, and offers science communicators a strong example of how popular science writing can hold technical depth and political clarity on the same page.

Volume 25Issue 42026

Jun 15, 2026 Book Review

Histories in the wind: a long overdue book about science communication across Ibero-America

by Mónica I. Feliú Mójer

Comunicar la ciencia en Iberoamérica: un sobrevuelo por la región is the first book-length, regionally authored history of science communication across twelve Ibero-American countries, published to mark the 35th anniversary of RedPOP. Written by practitioners and researchers from within the field, it traces how science communication has developed, and often survived, across vastly different political landscapes, from colonial-era natural history museums to today's social media ecosystems. Particularly striking is how several chapters frame science communication not just as public education but as a form of cultural resistance and democratic resilience. The book has geographical and thematic gaps, but it fills a long-overdue space in the literature and should be on every science communicator's shelf.

Volume 25Issue 42026

Jun 10, 2026 Book Review

Navigating the ethical dimensions of the science-policy interface

by Emily P Diamond

Guidance for researchers seeking to contribute science to the policymaking process typically focuses on technical training, such as how to write op-eds and policy briefs. An under-discussed but vital additional consideration is how to navigate the ethical challenges that arise at the intersection of research and policymaking. In their edited volume, Epstein and Kaplan feature case studies grounded in research experience to identify, describe, and offer guidance on how researchers and policymakers can bridge the science-policy gap in an effective and ethical way.

Volume 25Issue 42026

Apr 27, 2026 Book Review

For scientists who want to better communicate science

by Matthew S. VanDyke

Science Communication for Scientists: Linking Strategy with Creativity, Practice, and Respect serves as a necessary, current resource for scientists seeking to communicate about their work more effectively. The book expertly meets the collective moment in which we find ourselves — socio-politically, based on practical norms and common institutional infrastructures and incentives, and based on the state of the science communication literature — to offer scientists operating in democratic societies a much-needed resource for communicating their science with various stakeholder groups.

Volume 25Issue 32026

Apr 09, 2026 Book Review

What is philosophy of science and public policy?

by Byron Hyde

This book on philosophy of science and public policy provides a clear introduction to the basics of philosophy of science — scientific methodology, evidence types, and values in science. However, it falls short as an introduction to philosophy of public policy. The review contends that philosophy of public policy comprises two subdisciplines: philosophy of science and political philosophy. The book notably lacks engagement with many key figures in both areas, including Nancy Cartwright and Jonathan Wolff, and lacks treatment of evidence-based policy literature. The book functions adequately as an introductory philosophy of science text but inadequately addresses the unique problematics of evidence-informed policymaking.

Volume 25Issue 32026

Mar 30, 2026 Book Review

Public engagement with science: a practical guide

by Kiran Tomas van den Brande , Emmy Vrieling-Teunter , Arnoud Theodoor Evers , Frank de Jong

Public engagement with science has gained institutional prominence while remaining conceptually fragmented and difficult to operationalise. This review evaluates Public Engagement with Science by Angela Potochnik and Melissa Jacquart as a field-level intervention addressing this condition. The book offers an interdisciplinary, pedagogically grounded framework for understanding, designing, and institutionalising public engagement. More steps regarding its theorization can be made, but the plentitude of strengths lies in conceptual integration and practical design.

Volume 25Issue 32026

Nov 24, 2025 Book Review

Review of the book: Medical Editing – A Guide to Learning the Craft and Building Your Career.

by Mark Bos , Nathalie Kuijpers

In Medical Editing – A Guide to Learning the Craft and Building Your Career, Barbara Gastel delivers exactly what the title promises. Moving from introductory overviews to practical insights to ethics and career advice, the book offers a nice entry point for those new to the field. While primarily focusing on medical editing, its insights make it a useful resource for most starting in scientific or academic communication.

Volume 24Issue 072025

Nov 17, 2025 Book Review

Reviewed book: The Whispers of Rock: Stories from the Earth

by Richard Holliman

In her book Anjana Khatwa combines geological and Indigenous ways of knowing from across the globe, offering a wide-ranging guide to an area of science communication that can be overlooked, the Earth sciences. This would be sufficient to recommend it to science communicators. The book goes further, however, offering a deeply personal perspective on exclusion and inclusion in academia, and multicultural society. For anyone interested in equitable approaches to science communication, this is an essential read.

Volume 24Issue 072025

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