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Sep 22, 2014 Commentary

Research institutions: neither doing science communication nor promoting ‘public’ relations

In this commentary I explain why research institutions are neither doing science communication nor developing ‘public’ relations in the proper sense. Their activities are rather a mix of different things, serving various purposes and targets. However, dealing with PCST, their main responsibilities [should] include: promoting genuine communication and dialogue, being open and accessible to the public, providing high quality scientific information, ensuring good internal communication and educating their scientific staff.

Volume 13Issue 032014

Sep 22, 2014 Book Review

Who’s Asking? Native Science, Western Science, and Science Education

by Emily Dawson

‘Who’s Asking: Native Science, Western Science, and Science Education’ explores two key questions for science education, communication and engagement; first, what is science and second, what do different ways of understanding science mean for science and for science engagement practices? Medin and Bang have combined perspectives from the social studies of science, philosophy of science and science education to argue that science could be more inclusive if reframed as a diverse endeavour. Medin and Bang provide a useful, extensive and wide-ranging discussion of how science works, the nature of science, the role of culture, gender and ethnicity in science, biases and norms, as well as how people engage with science and the world around them. They draw on their collaborative research developing science education programmes with Native American communities to illustrate the benefits of reconstructing science by drawing on more than ‘Western’ science in education practices. The book argues that reconceptualising science in science education is crucial for developing a more diverse, equitable and inclusive scientific community and scientific practices, as well as improving educational opportunities and outcomes for youth from diverse and non-dominant backgrounds.

Volume 13Issue 032014

Sep 22, 2014 Book Review

Book Review

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Who’s Asking? Native Science, Western Science, and Science Education

by Emily Dawson

Volume 13Issue 032014

Sep 22, 2014 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

Sep 22, 2014 Commentary

Public communication from research institutes: is it science communication or public relations?

by Rebecca B. Carver

There is growing competition among publicly funded scientific institutes and universities to attract staff, students, funding and research partners. As a result, there has been increased emphasis on science communication activities in research institutes over the past decade. But are institutes communicating science simply for the sake of improving the institute’s image? In this set of commentaries we explore the relationship between science communication and public relations (PR) activities, in an attempt to clarify what research institutes are actually doing. The overall opinion of the authors is that science communication activities are almost always a form of PR. The press release is still the most popular science communication and PR tool. There is however disagreement over the usefulness of the press release and whether or not gaining public attention is actually good for science.

Press releases — the new trend in science communication

by Charlotte Autzen

Research institutions: neither doing science communication nor promoting ‘public’ relations

by Michel Claessens

The changing rationale of science communication: a challenge to scientific autonomy

by Frank Marcinkowski and Matthias Kohring

Public relations as science communication

by Matt Shipman

Volume 13Issue 032014

Sep 22, 2014 Article

Delivering the message: a theoretical study on designing science content for nature-based experiences

by Sanha Kim

The urgent state of our global environment calls for collective action, which depends in large part on effective science communication for better understanding and awareness. Activities and institutions that provide opportunities to learn about nature all ultimately rely on scientific findings about nature. Although science produces the knowledge and information about nature, for the content to be accessible and meaningful to the general public, it needs to be processed by what I call science content design. This process is similar to the concepts of interpretation in tourism, or aesthetic understanding in alternative science education. This study is a theoretical exploration on the definition and nature of science content design, what constitutes its process, and how the content can be designed. Focusing on the fields of macro-biology, I also discuss the types of biological content generally used in nature-based experiences, and examine model cases of biological content design.

Volume 13Issue 032014

Sep 22, 2014 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

Sep 22, 2014 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

Sep 22, 2014 Commentary

Public relations as science communication

by Matt Shipman

Public communication from research institutions often functions as both science communication and public relations. And while these are distinct functions, public relations efforts often serve as science communication tools. This is because successful science communication and public relations efforts for research institutions both rely on finding shared language and disseminating findings in context.

Volume 13Issue 032014

Sep 22, 2014 Commentary

The changing rationale of science communication: a challenge to scientific autonomy

by Frank Marcinkowski , Matthias Kohring

We argue that the institutionalized push communication of academic institutions has become the dominant form of public science communication and has tended to force other forms and functions of science communication into the background. Given the new schemes of public funding, public communication of science now primarily serves the purpose of enabling academic institutions to promote themselves in a competition that has been forced upon them by the political domain. What academics working under these conditions say about themselves and their work (and what they do not) will depend crucially on the strategic communication goals and concepts of the organizations to which they belong. We surmise that the inherent logic of this form of science communication represents a potential threat to the autonomy of scientific research.

Volume 13Issue 032014

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