eusea keynote 10july12 bt
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Science of science communication Brian Trench Dublin City University
The Science of Science Communication Colloquium hosted by US National Academies of Science,Washington, May 2012 This colloquium will survey the state of the art of empirical social science research in science communication and will focus on research in psychology, decision science, mass communication, risk communication, health communication, political science, sociology, and related fields on the communication dynamics surrounding issues in science, engineering, technology, and medicine with five distinct goals: •To improve understanding of relations between the scientific community and the public •To assess the scientific basis for effective communication about science •To strengthen ties among and between communication scientists •To promote greater integration of the disciplines and approaches pertaining to effective communication •To foster an institutional commitment to evidence-based communication science See programme and archived webcasts at http://www.nasonline.org/programs/sacklercolloquia/upcoming-colloquia/science-communication.html
Communication
Psychology Philosophy Ethics
Mass communication / media
Rhetoric Sociology Linguistics
Science communication
History
Political Economy Policy Studies
Life sciences Physical sciences
Science education Risk communication
Health promotion
Environmental sciences
Science communication
Social Studies of Science History of Science Philosophy and Ethics of science
Status of science communication Hybrid status as both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary (Priest 2010) Not a full discipline [and this] “allows science communicators to plunder all disciplines and fields of study to conduct their work most effectively” (Gascoigne et al 2010)
Emerging discipline with some recognised criteria of a discipline but still weak in theoretical development and definition of its boundaries (Trench and Bucchi 2010)
Complex root system Cross-disciplinary migration of champions Short training courses for professional scientists Science writing within communication programmes Writing and presentation modules for science students Training for science museums, shows, outreach Science writing postgraduate programmes
Programme content from four fields Science (usually biology) Education studies (also museum studies) Social studies of science (incl. history, philosophy) Communication theory and skills
Challenges to programmes Not seen as core business and therefore vulnerable to cutbacks (Netherlands, Italy)
Reduced practical content through relocation to another department (Mexico) Continuing need to explain or justify science communication and science communication research in a natural sciences setting (UK, Netherlands)
Opportunities for programmes Improved protection through relocation from a natural sciences to a humanities department (France) Demand for courses in science communication for other programmes (Spain, UK) External support from institutions promoting sciencein-society initiatives (Spain) Internal support from unit promoting science-insociety initiatives (France)
“I’m not sure the scientists understand completely what we do and they could have some problems with some of it. We are in a strange balance. They understand that we are useful. It depends on different boundary conditions: we could become a kind of outreach department or a research department, though this is less likely. Mostly, the scientists in our institute have in mind a popularisation model for science communication.” Nico Pitrelli, SISSA, Italy
“We were very fragile when we depended directly on science departments but our relocation to Humanities seems to protect us. Our Masters is really a professional Masters and the departments in Humanities don’t have many professionally oriented programmes. The literary people welcome us because of the professional dimension to our education.”
Baudouin Jurdant, University of Paris 7
SCI-COMM RESEARCH ARTICLES, 2000-2009 (n=1,237)
More than twice as many articles published 2005-2009 as 2000-2004
TOP10 JOURNALS FOR SCI COMM RESEARCH, 2000-2009
Tpp 10 journals accounted for 518 of 1,237 papers (42%)
RESEARCH METHODS IN ARTICLES, 2000-2009
Research Method
Total Articles Using This Method
Surveys or Questionnaires
331
Content Analysis
290
Interviews
159
Case Studies
149
Secondary Analysis of Surveys
78
Focus Groups
72
Evaluation Studies
56
SELECTED TOPICS IN SCIENCE COMMUNICATION RESEARCH
Science comm PhD theses 2000-2010 • • • • • • • •
Data gathered for 57 theses > 50% in UK/Australia/USA > 50% focused on context of science or medicine media/journalism > means of communication > engagement and dialogue > role of scientists > role of stakeholders > evaluation Top 4: media content analysis, survey, interview and case study No clear shared research aims Multiple theories employed Multiple contributions to practical field 18
Topics of current PhD projects sc. theories/application in practice sc. theories/deliberative democracy concept of interactional expertise
theory public health program laboratory access/teachers and pupils cancer prevention high school teachers
corporate strategic sc/climate change strategic sc/changing university professionalization in SC
scientist cultural knowledge/western science dialogue/responsiveness science expertise citizenship stakeholder int.
education
benefits field trip/guest speaker learning/school trip
engagement/dialogue
stakeholder/sustainable dev. stakeholder/sus. bioproducts nanotech./civil society science/public/citizenship
evaluation theory/science education
evaluation
citizen
antibiotic resistance/risk reduction television/scientific citizenship engagement/cyberscience authentic museum objects/visitors interaction visitors/scientists museum culture based sc-training public/museum governance multimedia/com. / edu. potential
media/means
ecological art /pus of marine biology
art
popular culture/’a brief history of time’ scientist online involvement/journalism climate change Australian newspapers math. info in Portuguese press festivals pop. science books mathematics effective strategy/organize framing / pet fish owners media influence/bone marrow donation
Topics of current PhD projects sc. theories/application in practice sc. theories/deliberative democracy concept of interactional expertise
theory public health program laboratory access/teachers and pupils cancer prevention high school teachers
corporate strategic sc/climate change strategic sc/changing university professionalization in SC
scientist cultural knowledge/western science dialogue/responsiveness science expertise citizenship stakeholder int.
education
benefits field trip/guest speaker learning/school trip
engagement/dialogue
stakeholder/sustainable dev. stakeholder/sus. bioproducts nanotech./civil society science/public/citizenship
evaluation theory/science education
evaluation
citizen
antibiotic resistance/risk reduction television/scientific citizenship engagement/cyberscience authentic museum objects/visitors interaction visitors/scientists museum culture based sc-training public/museum governance multimedia/com. / edu. potential
media/means
ecological art /pus of marine biology
art
popular culture/’a brief history of time’ scientist online involvement/journalism climate change Australian newspapers math. info in Portuguese press festivals pop. science books mathematics effective strategy/organize framing / pet fish owners media influence/bone marrow donation
Methods of current PhD projects • questionnaires/interviews • content analysis – incl. discourse analysis
• • • • •
participant observation eye-tracking case study participatory design literature / document analysis
Current PhD research projects (extract) Name
Country
University
Topic
Vickie Curtis
UK
Diana Kaiser
Ireland
Supara Kamolpattana
UK
How new developments in communication technologies are influencing public engagement activities in science: citizen cyberscience initiatives. Development and application of evaluation theory for the evaluation of informal science education, science outreach and public engagement with science. Development of culture-based science communication training for science museum explainers
Elaine McKewon
Australia
Institute of Educational technology (Open University) Schools of Biotechnology and Communication (Dublin City University) Science Communication Unit, (University of the West of England, Bristol) School of Journalism (University of Technology, Sydney)
Eric Kennedy
Canada
Gustav Bohlin
Sweden
Nick Verouden
Netherlands
ConstanzeHampp
Germany
Susana Pereira
Portugal
Centre for Knowledge Integration (University of Waterloo) Department of Science and Technology (Linköping University) Department of Science Education and Communication (Delft University of Technology) TUM School of Education, Science Communication (TU Munich) Faculty of Sciences (University of Porto)
Coverage of climate change in Australian newspapers (1996-2010) with the aim of explaining how the scientific consensus on climate change was reconstructed as a ‘scientific debate’ in the news media. Investigation of the concept of “interactional expertise” proposed by sociologists Harry Collins and Robert Evans. Antibiotic resistance and how different features of this problem, such as causes and risk-reduction measures, are communicated to and with the Swedish public. This project explores the coupling of science communication to strategic university organizational goals and objectives by investigating how professionals deal with these issues on a day-to-day basis. Seek to verify the claimed impact of authentic museum objects (originals) on museum visitors, testing the assumption that originals attract higher attention than reproductions Mathematical information in the Portuguese press
Base communication models
Dissemination
Dominant models in PCST
Variants on dominant PCST models
Science’s orientation to public
Defence
They are hostile
Deficit
They are ignorant Marketing
They can be persuaded
Base comm models
Dominant models in PCST
Dissemination
Variants on dominant PCST models
Science’s orientation to public
Defence
They are hostile
Deficit
They are ignorant Marketing
They can be persuaded
Context
We see their diverse needs
Consultation
We find out their views
Dialogue
Dialogue
They talk back Engagement
They take on the issue
Base comm models
Dissemination
Dialogue
Dominant models in PCST
Deficit
Dialogue
Variants on dominant PCST models
Science’s orientation to public
Defence
They are hostile They are ignorant They can be persuaded
Marketing Context Consultation
Engagement
We see their diverse needs We find out their views They talk back They take on the issue
Deliberation
They and we shape the issue
Conversation
Participation
They and we set the agenda Critique
They and we negotiate meanings
4 stages of scientific development • Stage 1: new objects and phenomena – scientists are pioneers, not afraid to make mistakes, have difficulties with peer review, do not always possess excellent technical skills
• Stage 2: develop methods and techniques – scientists validate techniques, develop a specific language, are ingenious and inventive, able to implement ideas
• Stage 3: production of specific knowledge: highest number of original publications – Scientists are resistant to first-stage propositions
• Stage 4: maintain and pass on scientific knowledge generated in phase 1 to 3 crucial revisions of the domain – scientists write reviews and textbooks presenting overview of the discipline (Shneider, Trends in Biochemical Sciences, 2009)
How much do practitioners care? Survey of those attending BAAS Science Communication conference 2007 (N=124) (87% science graduates; 54% professional science communicators; 69% female; 73%
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