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“Easy to join in your pyjamas”: benefits and barriers of online science engagement at Australia's 2020 National Science Week Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-04-26 Olivia F. McRae,Ellie Downing,Alice Motion,Chiara O'Reilly,Reyne Pullen
In 2020, National Science Week events shifted online in response to Australian COVID-19 restrictions. Our research captures this rapid pivot from in-person to online science events, exploring experiences through audience and presenter questionnaires, and follow-up interviews. We examine characteristics of audiences for online science events, benefits and barriers of these events, and opportunities
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Science communication during COVID-19: when theory meets practice and best practices meet reality Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-04-20 Christopher D. Wirz,Ashley Cate,Markus Brauer,Dominique Brossard,Lori DiPrete Brown,Kaiping Chen,Pauline Ho,D. Gavin Luter,Haley Madden,Sara Schoenborn,Bret Shaw,Cory Sprinkel,Don Stanley,Gail Sumi
This paper synthesizes the efforts of an interdisciplinary, University-convened communication task force in the U.S. that used science communication theory to develop an effective strategy during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. We outline recommendations for researchers and practitioners who are, or are interested in, implementing theory-based communication practices while describing how
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Welcome message from the new editorial duo Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-04-11 Michelle Riedlinger,Marina Joubert
In this editorial, we reflect on our new roles as Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor of JCOM. We acknowledge the work of previous editors of JCOM, the Editorial Office and the wider JCOM community who have contributed to the success of the journal. We introduce the new Editorial Board and future directions for the journal, and we encourage suggestions from authors, reviewers and readers for taking the
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Practicing engaged research through pandemic times: do not feed the animals? Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Virginia Thomas,Angela Cassidy
From 'Feed the Birds' to 'Do Not Feed the Animals' takes an engaged approach in which science communication is both process and outcome of the research. The project started in the UK in March 2020, coinciding with government-imposed lockdowns in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; since the project's engagement had been designed around in-person interactions, a rapid and creative rethink was needed
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#finaltrashtination. An art-based intervention to collaboratively generate conversations about climate change Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Franzisca Weder
In this practice insight, an art-based, participatory intervention (#finaltrashtination) is presented as higher education assignment in environmental and climate change communication. The project #finaltrashtination made dominant environmentally destructive ways of wasting visible and stimulated students to take responsibility, advocacy and authorship for transformation. Beyond the one-day eco-culture
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The Group Provisory Conclusion, a powerful tool for science debut Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Marima Hvass-Faivre d'Arcier
This article will take you through the evolution of our approach in presenting and communicating science. For twenty years ‘1, 2, 3, sciences’ has run participatory live workshops for adults. A special tool, the Group Provisory Conclusion or GPC, involving each participant, contributes to the success. Our expectation was to rekindle the public’s interest through participatory methods, supported by
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Participatory science communication for transformation Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Jennifer Metcalfe,Toss Gascoigne,Fabien Medvecky,Ana Claudia Nepote
Participatory science communication featured in several sessions and individual papers at the 2021 online conference of the Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) Network. This coverage recognises the drive away from linear communication to more participatory forms of science communication. In this special edition we present practice insights, papers and essays that explore participatory
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Foot and mouth disease ready? How co-creation of and participation in knowledge development and sharing can transform relationships between livestock producers and other animal health stakeholders — an Australian case study Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Jennifer Manyweathers,Yiheyis Maru,Lynne Hayes,Barton Loechel,Jennifer Kelly,Simone Felton,Marwan El Hassan,Heleen Kruger,Rob Woodgate,Marta Hernandez-Jover
Building a strong and trustworthy communication network to report unusual signs of disease will facilitate Australia's response to a foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. In a four-year study, the FMD Ready Farmer-led surveillance project adopted the Agricultural Innovation Systems (AIS) framework, modelling transformation of how knowledge is co-created, valued, and communicated. The FMD Ready project
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Emergence of perceptions of smart agriculture at a community/campus farm: a participatory experience Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Chi-I Lin
This study provides a practice insight into campus/community co-farming as a communication experience connecting civic participants and experts in exploring the potential applications of smart agriculture. The observation focuses on participants' perceptions of smart-agri practices. The objectives of smart-agri practices have been identified to reduce negative environmental impact and meet local challenges;
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The Christmas Lectures: extending the experience outside the lecture theatre Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Hannah Little,Laura Fogg-Rogers,Ana Margarida Sardo
Traditionally, the Royal Institution's Christmas Lectures have always adopted a deficit model for communication, with one or two invited scientists giving lectures to an audience present at the Royal Institution (Ri) and, since 1936, an audience watching the lectures on television at home. As trends in public engagement have tended towards more dialogue or participatory models, the Ri has made efforts
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Including younger children in science-related issues using participatory and collaborative strategies: a pilot project on urban biodiversity Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Rita Campos
Young children are actors usually excluded from political decisions and also from many science communication projects. Participatory science communication models can help to connect their everyday life with both local policies and science-related content. Using visual methodologies for engagement, we aimed at understanding what preschool children prefer in the city landscape. Results show how young
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Participatory citizen science in solar energy research: going beyond data collection to promote the energy transition Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Luisa Barbosa,Carlos del Cañizo,Gema Revuelta
Despite the societal relevance of energy research, there is a distinct lack of citizen science initiatives in the field. This paper reports the experience of a participatory and innovative strategy to develop a citizen science initiative for solar energy research. A number of stakeholders participated in the definition and implementation of the initiative, and tools such as surveys and a hackathon
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For real-world outcomes you need real-world training: participatory capacity building in science communication Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Graham Walker
Concepts underpinning participatory science communication have much to offer science communication training and capacity building. This paper investigates a capacity building program with 15 science communicators from nine African countries involved in a six-week program in Australia. Data was collected via surveys, observations, informal interactions and ongoing relationships tracking program outcomes
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Look before you leap: assessing community readiness for action on science and health policy issues Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Christina Standerfer,Emily Loker,Jason Lochmann
This practice insight focuses on lessons learned while completing a research project designed to compare the relative effectiveness of three communication strategies in rural communities relative to motivating citizens to take action on a public health issue, specifically Type 2 diabetes. Our main arguments are: 1) Engaging citizens in any type of communication related to public health or science action
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Participatory science communication for transformation in Colombia Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Mabel Ayure,Ricardo Triana
This essay approaches the question: ‘What does participatory science communication for transformation mean in Colombia?’ The answer comes from an examination of the public policy instruments that have promoted participatory scientific communication through the concept of social appropriation of science, technology, and innovation (STI). In the gaze of these public policy instruments, it is evident
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Turning the tide: crafting a collective narrative of the ocean through participatory media Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Gianna Savoie
Participatory media has the ability to engage people in stories of science in ways that are personal, profound and culturally relevant. This essay launches from my experience as a scientist-turned-filmmaker and my establishment of the Ocean Media Institute, a global media collective that serves as a participatory platform for the communication of ocean science. Through collaboration and innovation
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Comparing science communication theory with participatory practice: case study of the Australian Climate Champion Program Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Jennifer Metcalfe
While short-term participatory science communication activities have been well researched, long-term programs have received scant attention. Analysing survey data and participant discussions, I investigated interactions between Australian farmers and scientists engaged in the Climate Champion Program (2009–2016). I compared their interactions to three theorised science communication models: deficit
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Valuing visitors' knowledge: the experience of Association Traces at the crossroads between science communication, participatory activities and social inclusion Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Matteo Merzagora,Claudia Aguirre,Paul Boniface,Clementine Bricout,Celine Martineau
In this “practice insight” we present a series of experiences run by Association Traces, injecting participatory approaches into science engagement activities by valuing the knowledge of the public rather than focusing on their ignorance. Starting from the observation that a sort of hybridization is occurring between cultural activities and public engagement with science on one side, and co-creation
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Participatory science communication needs to consider power, place, pain and ‘poisson’: a practitioner insight Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-28 Anne Leitch
The language of science communication has moved from deficit to dialogue and talk of a ‘new social contract’ with the public ‘invited to participate’. This paper outlines a practitioner path that begins with storytelling and moves to a more participatory mode of practice of science communication for adaptation to climate change at the community scale. I outline personal practitioner reflections, specifically
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Deconstructing citizen science: a framework on communication and interaction using the concept of roles Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-14 Susanne Hecker,Monika Taddicken
Citizen science opens the scientific knowledge production process to societal actors. In this novel collaboration process, scientists and citizens alike face the challenge of new tasks and functions, eventually resulting in changing roles. Role theory provides a way of conceptualizing the roles that people take in communication and interaction. We use role theory to create a framework that identifies
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Scientific research in news media: a case study of misrepresentation, sensationalism and harmful recommendations Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-03-07 Georgia Dempster,Georgina Sutherland,Louise Keogh
Accurate news media reporting of scientific research is important as most people receive their health information from the media and inaccuracies in media reporting can have adverse health outcomes. We completed a quantitative and qualitative analysis of a journal article, the corresponding press release and the online news reporting of a scientific study. Four themes were identified in the press release
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‘Born or Built?’ Exploring visitor understandings of robotics Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-02-28 Gizem Bilgin,Erika Kerruish,Rod Kennett,Rob DeSalle,Anita Beck,Alex Jordan,Doug Newton-Walters,Matt Cracknell
The ‘Born or Built? — Our Robotic Future’ (‘BOB?’) exhibition examines relationships between humans, robots and artificial intelligence. It encourages visitors to explore ethical and social issues surrounding these new technologies and invites visitors to post their own questions. We examine visitor responses to the exhibit “A of the Day”, which encourages visitors to engage by writing down their own
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Wildlife comics, or the making of young naturalists in late Franco's Spain (1969–1970) Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-02-21 Carlos Tabernero
This essay examines a highly popular comic series published in Spain between 1969 and 1970 which focused on Felix Rodríguez de la Fuente (1928–1980), a prominent and influential naturalist and media icon, as main character. These comics constitute a remarkably illustrative example of the use of popular media in processes of construction of natural history knowledge. Situated in the complex final years
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Visitors come to experience science: towards a non-obtrusive evaluation method based on immersive virtual reality Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-02-07 Carla Morais,Luciano Moreira,Ana Teixeira,Teresa Aguiar,António Coelho,Vasco Pereira,Alexandre Jacinto,Marta Varzim,João C. Paiva,Miriam Rosa
This paper focuses on developing and assessing a non-obtrusive and transformative method, based on virtual reality, to evaluate science communication projects in science centres. The method was tested using deep-sea cutting-edge scientific content. We applied a mixed design, with 72 adult participants randomly assigned to experimental conditions (with/without exhibition exposure). Results showed that
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The audience experience of science storytelling: impact profiles from a Q methodology study Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-01-31 Jessica Sickler,Michelle Lentzner
The Story Collider applies the principles of narrative transportation to produce events that use first-person, personal stories about science to activate audience emotion, empathy, and identities. This study sought to systematically explore underlying patterns in the subjective experience of these live shows. This study combined a research framework from the performing arts with Q methodology, a method
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Beyond the Base-ics: approaches to driving connection through genetics in museums Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-01-24 Abigail A. Howell,Keighley N. Reisenauer,Michelle M. Valkanas,Katherine E. Carter
Genetics literacy is crucial for making informed decisions. However, perceived complexity, educational gaps, and misleading media narratives make reaching diverse populations difficult. Interventions to improve genetics literacy beyond K—12 classrooms should center on building science trust and self-efficacy. We used a mixed methods approach to survey 12 museums with genetics content and found 3 framing
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Participation brokers in the making: intermediaries taking up and embedding a new role at the science-society interface Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-01-17 Jantien W. Schuijer,Marjoleine G. van der Meij,Jacqueline E. W. Broerse,Frank Kupper
Although research has been performed on participatory mechanisms in science and technology such as brokering, little seems written on intermediary organizations, e.g. science museums, taking up and embedding a participation brokerage role and systemic factors influencing these. This paper presents a qualitative case study in which six different intermediary organizations developed their participation
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New year, new editorial team Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2022-01-13 Emma Weitkamp
In this Editorial, I reflect on my time as Editor in Chief of JCOM and thank the community of scholars and practitioners who have helped to ensure the success of JCOM by generously contributing their time as reviewers, as well as authors and readers. This community has made my time as Editor in Chief rewarding and informative, as I have learned more and more about our diverse field. I am sure that
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Experts, influencers, and amplifiers — Exploring climate movements' hyperlinking practices Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-12-15 Frauke Rohden
While research shows different links between activism and science, little is known about activists engaging in science communication online. Demanding that decision-makers should “listen to the scientists”, the climate movements Fridays for Future (FFF) and Extinction Rebellion (XR) emphasize the role of scientific knowledge in democratic decision-making. Exploring the two movements' hyperlinking practices
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Understanding the relationship between sharing personal anecdotes, warmth, curiosity, risk perception and mitigation in communicating the threat of climate change Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-12-13 Reyhaneh Maktoufi
While most Americans believes in climate change, to elicit action, communicators should use strategies to convey risks. One strategy is to cognitively engage individuals by eliciting curiosity. Previous studies have shown that individuals with higher science curiosity are more likely to perceive the risk of climate change. This study uses scientists’ act of sharing personal anecdotes to elicit curiosity
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Individual solutions to collective problems: the paradoxical treatment of environmental issues on Mexican and French YouTubers' videos Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-12-09 Cecilia Lartigue,Guillaume Carbou,Muriel Lefebvre
The impact of human activity on our planet is undeniable. However, this matter of fact is not fully understandable without analyzing the narratives through which people make sense of it. In this study, we aim to describe the narratives present in environmental discourses of Mexican and French YouTubers' videos. This corpus is intended to show how environmental issues are framed in the ever-growing
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Perceptions of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the work of science journalists: global perspectives Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-12-06 Luisa Massarani,Luiz Felipe Fernandes Neves,Marta Entradas,Tim Lougheed,Martin W. Bauer
The article presents the results of a survey of science journalists from six world regions about their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The responses show perception of increasing workload for most participants. Local scientists and peer-reviewed articles are the main sources. According to the respondents, scientists have become more available during the pandemic. The use of preprint articles was
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Uniquely disgusting? Physiological disgust and attitudes toward GM food and other food and health technologies Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-11-29 Sedona Chinn,Ariel Hasell
Despite scientific consensus that genetically modified (GM) food is safe to eat, the American public remains skeptical. This study (N=73) investigates the proposed role of disgust in driving opposition to GM food, which is debated in extant literature. Using physiological measures of disgust, alongside self-report measures, this study suggests that disgust plays a role in driving skepticism toward
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Exploration of social cues in technology-mediated science communication: a multidiscipline analysis on ‘Ask Me Anything (AMA)’ sessions in Reddit r/science Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-11-22 Ying Tang,Jessica M. Abbazio,Khe Foon Hew,Noriko Hara
Social cues are used to facilitate online science communication, yet little is known about how they may play a role in online public engagement with science sites. This mixed-method study investigates r/science Ask Me Anything (AMA) sessions on Reddit through content analysis and an online survey to identify the types and variations of social cues manifested in six r/science AMAs across varying disciplines
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Follow the scientists? How beliefs about the practice of science shaped COVID-19 views Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-11-15 Thomas G. Safford,Emily H. Whitmore,Lawrence C. Hamilton
“Follow the science” became the mantra for responding to COVID-19 pandemic. However, for the public this also meant “follow the scientists”, and this led to uneasiness as some viewed scientists as not credible. We investigate how beliefs about the way scientists develop their findings affect pandemic-related views. Our analysis shows that beliefs about scientists' objectivity predict views regrading
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Boundary spanners and thinking partners: adapting and expanding the research-practice partnership literature for public engagement with science (PES) Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-11-08 Karen Peterman,Sarah Garlick,John Besley,Sue Allen,Kathy Fallon Lambert,Nalini M. Nadkarni,Mark S. Rosin,Caitlin Weber,Marissa Weiss,Jen Wong
This paper is the culmination of several meaning-making activities between an external researcher, PES practitioners, and social scientist researchers who considered the unique contributions that can be made through RPPs on PES (that is, research-practice partnerships on public engagement with science). Based on the experiences from three RPP projects, the group noted that the PES context may be particularly
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The matter of complex anti-matter: the portrayal and framing of physics in Dutch newspapers Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-11-02 Sanne Willemijn Kristensen,Julia Cramer,Alix McCollam,W. Gudrun Reijnierse,Ionica Smeets
Physics is often perceived as difficult, but there has been little research on how physics is reported in the media. In this two-stage content analysis, we examine the portrayal of physics in five major Dutch newspapers. Results show that astronomy and astrophysics is the most prominent field. Furthermore, newspaper articles are triggered almost equally by scientific and non-scientific events. Finally
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“Science Festival” may not mean what we think it means: an analysis of how researchers and practitioners use this term Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-10-25 J. Ross Ramsey,Todd Boyette
The modern science festival movement has grown significantly since the Edinburgh International Science Festival launched in 1989. Hundreds of science festivals now occur annually and vary widely. This article examines how the term “science festival” is used within research and practice. We find that most research articles fail to describe the science festivals they study. A subsequent analysis of festival
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Awareness, views and experiences of Citizen Science among Swedish researchers — two surveys Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-10-11 Pavel Bína,Fredrik Brounéus,Dick Kasperowski,Niclas Hagen,Martin Bergman,Gustav Bohlin,Mari Jönsson,Stephen Coulson,Tim Hofmeester
In 2021 Sweden’s first national portal for citizen science will be launched to help researchers practice sustainable and responsible citizen science with different societal stakeholders. This paper present findings from two surveys on attitudes and experiences of citizen science among researchers at Swedish universities. Both surveys provided input to the development of the national portal, for which
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Citizen science and crowdsourcing in the field of marine scientific research — the MaDCrow project Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-10-11 Paolo Diviacco,Antonio Nadali,Massimiliano Nolich,Andrea Molinaro,Massimiliano Iurcev,Rodrigo Carbajales,Alessandro Busato,Alessandro Pavan,Lorenzo Grio,Francesca Malfatti
Marine research is as important as very demanding since it requires expensive infrastructures and resources. Scientific institutions, on the contrary, have very limited funding so that the seas remain, still, mostly unexplored. Another serious concern is that society at large often resonates with fake news, while scientists sometimes tend to bias research with their backgrounds and paradigms. We think
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Agenda 2030's, “Leave no one behind”, in citizen science? Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-10-11 Madeleine Montanari,Liesbet Jacobs,Mordechai Haklay,Felix Kwabena Donkor,Maria Rosa Mondardini
Citizen science (CS) is promoted as a useful practice for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In this contribution we explore how CS aligns to the SDGs overarching pledge to ‘Leave no one behind’. We propose a framework to evaluate exclusionary processes in CS. We interlink three dimensions of CS inspired by existing CS typologies with five factors underpinning exclusionary
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Engaged Citizen Social Science or the public participation in social science research Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-10-11 Rita Campos,José Monteiro,Cláudia Carvalho
Acknowledging the consolidation of citizen science, this paper aims to foster a collective debate on two visible gaps of the field. First, how to overcome the limited participation of social sciences and humanities in the broader field of citizen science, still dominated by natural sciences. Second, how to develop a citizen social science that allows for an active participation of citizens and for
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Investigating the process of ethical approval in citizen science research: the case of Public Health Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-10-11 Antonella Ficorilli,Giovanni Maccani,Mara Balestrini,Annibale Biggeri,Bruna De Marchi,Frederique E. M. Froeling,Florence Gignac,Regina Grazuleviciene,Gerard Hoek,Tjaša Kanduč,David Kocman,Valeria Righi,Xavier Basagana
Undertaking citizen science research in Public Health involving human subjects poses significant challenges concerning the traditional process of ethical approval. It requires an extension of the ethics of protection of research subjects in order to include the empowerment of citizens as citizen scientists. This paper investigates these challenges and illustrates the ethical framework and the strategies
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Participant motivation to engage in a citizen science campaign: the case of the TESS network Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-10-11 Irene Celino,Gloria Re Calegari,Mario Scrocca,Jaime Zamorano,Esteban Gonzalez Guardia
Citizen science involves laymen in some steps of a scientific experiment: citizens are volunteers devoting their free time to citizen science projects. Therefore it is important to investigate the factors influencing their motivation and engagement. In this paper, we present our study to investigate the motivation factors of the TESS photometer network participants, an initiative to collect light pollution
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Citizen science impact pathways for a positive contribution to public participation in science Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-10-11 Artemis Skarlatidou,Mordechai Haklay
Positioning citizen science within the broader historical public engagement framework demonstrates how it has the potential to effectively tackle research and innovation issues. Citizen science approaches have their own challenges, which need to be considered in order to achieve this aim and contribute to wider and deeper public engagement. However, programme evaluations, which discuss lessons learned
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Onto new horizons: insights from the WeObserve project to strengthen the awareness, acceptability and sustainability of Citizen Observatories in Europe Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-10-11 Gerid Hager,Margaret Gold,Uta Wehn,Raquel Ajates,Linda See,Mel Woods,Chrysovalantis Tsiakos,Joan Masó,Dilek Fraisl,Inian Moorthy,Dahlia Domian,Steffen Fritz
WeObserve delivered the first European-wide Citizen Observatory (CO) knowledge platform to share best practices, to address challenges and to inform practitioners, policy makers and funders of COs. We present key insights from WeObserve activities into leveraging challenges to create interlinked solutions, connecting with international frameworks and groups, advancing the field through communities
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Gamification for social perception: introducing scientific literacy to dabblers in citizen science Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-10-11 Emilio Velis,Diego Torres,Gino Caballero
Understanding scientific concepts is a crucial factor in motivating dabblers at the start of co-created citizen science projects. This article describes PACMAC, a card-based cooperative card game aimed at introducing dabblers to hypothesis and falsifiability concepts through the visualization of a social perception map. The game was evaluated in five neighborhoods from El Salvador. The results showed
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Reaching the limits of co-creation in citizen science — exemplified by the linguistic citizen humanities project ‘On everyone’s mind and lips — German in Austria’ Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-10-11 Barbara Heinisch
Co-creation aims at integrating citizens in the entire research process. The citizen linguistics project German in Austria tests this approach in the humanities based on the assumption that language is ubiquitous. The project combines different forms of public participation, including a co-created format, where citizens can raise (and answer) research questions about the German language in Austria
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Co-benefits associated with public support for climate-friendly COVID-19 recovery policies and political activism Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-10-04 Jagadish Thaker,Brian Floyd
Scientists highlight that actions that address environmental protection and climate change can also help with reducing infectious disease threats. Results using data from a national sample survey in New Zealand indicate that perceptions of co-benefits of actions to address environmental protection that also protect against infectious disease outbreaks such as the coronavirus is associated with policy
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Understanding knowledge and perceptions of genome editing technologies: a textual analysis of major agricultural stakeholder groups Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-09-29 Matthew Robbins,Christopher Calabrese,Jieyu Ding Featherstone,George A. Barnett
The promise of CRISPR-Cas9 (CRISPR) genomic editing applied to agriculture is promoted widely by scientists. We utilized textual analysis methods to compare perceptions of this innovation held by various stakeholder groups — scientists, policymakers, farmers, and the general public. Results reveal distinctions in the semantic structure and concepts emphasized across groups. Scientists and policymakers
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Co-created citizen science: challenging cultures and practice in scientific research Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-09-27 Jade Gunnell,Yaela Golumbic,Tess Hayes,Michelle Cooper
Co-created citizen science offers practical tools for implementing science communication theories by increasing public participation in scientific research, empowering communities and advancing situated scientific knowledge. However, delivering such an approach presents a number of key challenges around funding, fostering working partnerships between scientists and citizens and ensuring all stakeholders
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There is nothing new under the sun Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-09-20 Erik Stengler
A novel and original take on the history of popular science showcases that making science accessible to the public has been part of scientific activity since ancient times. Under this lens, and through twenty-one case studies, current trends such as sci-art and virtual technology can be seen as part of a continuum that was already present in the use of aesthetic and rhetorical tools by the ancient
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Science communication training as information seeking and processing: a theoretical approach to training early-career scientists Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-09-15 Heather Akin,Shelly Rodgers,Jack Schultz
This study examines early-career scientists' cognition, affect, and behaviors before, during, and after a series of science communication training workshops drawing from the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) and Theory of Planned Behavior theoretical models. We find correlations between engagement (throughout the training), self-reported knowledge and intention to apply their science communication
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A timely update to a classic text Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-09-13 Emma Weitkamp
The third edition of Bucchi and Trench's classic handbook offers a contemporary look at science communication. First published over 10 years ago, this latest edition includes new chapters focusing on contemporary issues, such as mediatization, as well as addressing new trends in science communication, such as the move towards STEAM. The text offers a useful introduction to the diverse debates and issues
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How do we tackle the COVID-19 crisis? Mass media and psychological responses to the health crisis in Spain Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-09-08 María Álvarez-Rementería Álvarez,Gorka Roman Etxebarrieta,Maria Dosil Santamaria
During global health crises, the mass media plays a key role in the construction of risk society. This paper analyses people's perception during the confinement in Spain regarding the role of mass media and its relationship with psychological responses and attitudes towards social control. Results from the survey (n=704) suggest that certain groups have been more affected by the messages distributed
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Impacts of genre and access on science discussions: ‘The New Reddit Journal of Science’ Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-09-06 Ehren Helmut Pflugfelder,Alexander Mahmou-Werndli
Which genre of science writing contributes most to public understanding, and how does that understanding happen? Working within a science in society approach, this paper examines public engagement with science as it occurs in the comments and discussion boards of r/science. Researchers use content analysis to identify relevant concept categories and code comments for interaction with science content
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Steak and bleach as science communication heroes? The rise of post-corona, posthuman irony Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-08-30 Padraig Murphy
Since early 2020, communicating risks associated with COVID-19 and providing safety advice have been top priorities for health agencies and governments. With an increase in employees working remotely following the global spread of coronavirus coupled with increasingly sophisticated marketing strategies, global brands unsurprisingly engaged consumers and publics by acknowledging the crisis that engulfed
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A look at the complex issues of science communication: the Routledge Handbook of Public Communication of Science and Technology Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-08-23 Andrea Rubin
In the year of the PCST Conference that brings together scholars and experts in public communication of science, Routledge published the new edition of the Handbook of Public Communication of Science and Technology, edited by Massimiano Bucchi and Brian Trench. The book, in its third edition, seeks to update and define the field of study and application of science communication from both a theoretical
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Citizen-driven participatory research conducted through knowledge intermediary units. A thematic synthesis of the literature on “Science Shops” Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-08-16 Anne-Sophie Gresle,Eduardo Urias,Rosario Scandurra,Bálint Balázs,Irene Jimeno,Leonardo de la Torre Ávila,Maria Jesus Pinazo
A Science Shop acts as a mission-oriented intermediary unit between the scientific sphere and civil society organizations. It seeks to facilitate citizen-driven open science projects that respond to the needs of civil society organizations and which, typically, include students in the work process. We performed a thematic analysis of a systematically selected literature on Science Shops to understand
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A survey and evaluation of mobile apps in science centers and museums Journal of Science Communication Pub Date : 2021-08-09 Maycon Gomes Barbosa,Luiz Antonio de Saboya,Diego Vaz Bevilaqua
This paper studies how science centers and museums around the world have used mobile apps with museum guide characteristics and tries to identify the best interface design principles to improve their use as a tool for interaction with the public. For this purpose, we mapped mobile apps from science centers and museums and applied an evaluation tool for each one to identify good practices. This allowed