Biochemical Society Science Communication Prize 2021

There has been little, if any, research looking at how well practical science communicators are connected with the relevant research literature. Indeed, there is little—if anything—written about who makes up the science communication community. This chapter reports on a short survey of attendees at the British Association for the Advancement of Science’s 2007 Science Communication conference. The survey gives some indication of what science communicators have by way of training, and what they are reading that is relevant to their professional lives. It finds that the community is relatively young and predominantly female, with generally high levels of science education. Training in science communication is less prevalent, however, and over 40% of the conference delegates who responded did not read any of the relevant journals in the field. This chapter discusses whether there may be mutual misunderstanding between science communication practitioners and social scientists who carry out research in the area. It puts forward an example of the use of research on public perceptions of risk in science communication training.

Preface: The changing face of science communication John K. Gilbert and Susan M. Stocklmayer I. Models of science communication - theory into practice 1. Towards a 'design approach' to science communication Masakata Ogawa 2. Engagement with science: models of science communication Susan M. Stocklmayer II: Challenges in communicating science 3. Scientists' engagement with the public Suzette D. Searle 4. The role of science and technology in public policy. What is knowledge for? Will J Grant 5. Negotiating public resistance to engagement in science and technology Lindy Orthia III. Major themes in science communication 6. Communicating the significance of risk Craig Trumbo 7. Quantitative literacy in science communication Maurice M.W. Cheng, Ka Lok Wong, Arthur Man Sang Lee, Ida Ah Chee Mok 8. Ethics and accountability in science and technology Rod Lamberts 9. Beliefs and the value of evidence Michael J. Reiss IV. Informal learning 10. Helping learning in science communication John K. Gilbert 11. Science communication and science education Sean Perera and Susan M. Stocklmayer 12. The practice of science and technology communication in science museums Leonie J Rennie V. Communication of contemporary issues in science and society 13. Communicating global climate change: issues and dilemmas Justin Dillon and Marie Hobson 14. Science communication during a short-term crisis: the case of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) Yeung Chung Lee 15. Communication challenges for sustainability Julia B. Corbett 16. The value of Indigenous Knowledge Systems in the 21st Century Yonah Seleti 17. Science communication: The consequences of being human Chris Bryant VI. Further exploration

The strength of science communication in Australia has until now been in practice rather than theory, driven by a demand for practical solutions to problems. Science communicators are resourceful in devising solutions, either adapting international experience to suit local circumstances or inventing their own. The theoretical study of science communication in Australia has been slower to develop. Only recently has Australia recognized that many science-based issues require a more considered approach, in which practical actions are governed by a deeper theoretical understanding. Prior to 1990, the limited number of university departments researching science communication-related issues worked principally from a social sciences perspective. Based in units with names such as ‘History and Philosophy of Science’, they had little to do with practitioners in science communication. The practitioners usually worked for research organizations, science centers and museums, and came from a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds. They performed a range of tasks and the titles of their positions varied widely. There were no established training programs, and the role of ‘science communicator’ was only beginning to be defined. Dialog between theoreticians and practitioners was virtually non-existent. Since the 1990s, the practice of science communication has become more professional through the development of Australian Science Communicators, the consolidation of three centers for training science communicators, and an increase in academic research into science communication. Academic research into science communication currently takes a mostly multidisciplinary approach and has moved away from a deficit model focus to one that is more participatory. This may at least partly explain the closer links emerging between researchers and practitioners.

Science communication plays a crucial role in attracting public money for science, promote scientific careers and shaping policy accordingly. Very few studies have been particularly dedicated to the ways how Latvian scientists communicate their research to public audiences. The current study will attempt to fill this gap and offer analysis of scientists’ perception of communication and the models they choose to communicate effectively. One must take into consideration the claim of many scholars that definition of science communication remains elusive and multifaceted, often described as vague and fuzzy. This forestalls a clear understanding of what results are expected and how are they to be achieved. At this point, science communication models are of great help to guide and measure expected results. Although the models are usually presented as an evolutionary form, in real life situations they often transpire as a mix and cannot be identified straightforwardly. However, they are usually declared in forms that are separated not only according to the way activities are carried out but also according to the evolutionary forms of transfer. Meanwhile, as evolution implies, there is a need to be ready for change, hence, it is pivotal for society, as well as scientists. This study encompasses projects (n = 47) funded by Latvian Council of Science in 2020, whose implementers have submitted their final reports in 2023. Qualitative thematic analysis has revealed that the focus of project proposals and reports lies in the Deficit model of science communication, often leaving behind Dialogue and Participatory models. This paper aims to explore the nuanced definitions of science communication and contribute the analysis of the progression of its models in relation to societal and scientific readiness. By examining these models, we can gain insights into how science communication practices have adapted to meet the changing expectations and needs of both society and the scientific community.

The science communication field strives to connect theory and practice. This essay delves into the potential of collaborative design to bridge this gap. Collaborative design in science communication can involve scientists, science communication researchers, designers, and other stakeholders in developing new science communication solutions. By incorporating diverse perspectives and expertise, it can help create more effective and evidence-based communication strategies that cater to the needs of audiences. To integrate these demands, a structured approach is necessary. This paper discusses two established frameworks, Design-Based Research and Design Thinking, and applies practical insights to envision the impact of collaborative design on the future of science communication.

Effective engagement with diverse stakeholders, combating misinformation and encouraging wider participation in science is core to science communication practice, and comprises much of the current focus of research in the discipline. Global events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, have clearly shown that social inequalities also manifest within communication structures, including those of science communication. Practices which are inclusive of diverse audiences are key if we wish to engage diverse audiences in finding solutions to societal issues. Yet there is little available evidence to show which diverse, marginalised and/or excluded groups are being engaged within science communication, and via what means. This paper develops a systematic map of academic literature spanning 40 years to provide a preliminary evidence base of how diversity and inclusion within science communication research and practice is conceived and implemented. Although the discipline has shown an increased focus within the last 5 years, science communication must evolve further in order to develop a robust evidence base for understanding what constitutes inclusive science communication in both theory and practice.

Antimicrobial resistance: a Biochemical Society position statement

Theoretical perspectives of science communication were initially driven by practice, which in turn have influenced practice and further science communication scholarship. The practice of science communication includes a variety of quite diverse roles. Likewise, the scholarship of science communication draws upon a mix of disciplines. I argue that the apparent messiness of science communication scholarship and practice is also its wealth. If blame can be avoided in developing and applying science communication models, and if the coexistence of all science communication models can be embraced then both the scholarship and practice of science communication is likely to be more effective.

To advance science communication training, we use learning theory to build on an earlier effort to create a comprehensive list of topics for learning science communication. We identify threshold concepts that can help learners move through the community of practice of science communication. We organize the topics as essential or advanced, and specify their relevance to occasional, active, and professional science communicators. We understand learning progressions as a way to structure movement within a community of practice, especially the development of stronger identity as a science communicator. We believe this approach can lead to development of formal learning progressions for structuring science communication training. Our goal is to help move science communication training from an opportunistic activity drawing on the particular interests and skills of individual trainers to a more systematic enterprise.

Despite mounting criticism, the deficit model remains an integral part of science communication research and practice. In this article, I advance three key factors that contribute to the idea of the public deficit in science communication, including the purpose of science communication, how communication processes and outcomes are conceptualized, and how science and scientific knowledge are defined. Affording science absolute epistemic privilege, I argue, is the most compelling factor contributing to the continued use of the deficit model. In addition, I contend that the deficit model plays a necessary, though not sufficient, role in science communication research and practice. Areas for future research are discussed.

Science communication, over the last two decades, has shifted its onus from public understanding to public engagement. These efforts have been paralleled in science education, which strives to promote continued student engagement with science. Persistence with more traditional forms of pedagogy by teachers in middle school is a chief deterrent to this endeavour. Since many teachers’ inadequate understanding about science is regarded as inhibiting their use of inquiry-based pedagogy, professional development based on constructivist principles has been identified to remedy this problem. This study investigates the constructivist basis for a model of short-term professional development, which has not been addressed in the literature. The one-day workshops offered to middle school science teachers in Australia and overseas by the Centre for the Public Awareness of Science (ANU, Canberra) are investigated here. While the workshops did facilitate conceptual change in the teachers, it was found that the constructivist principles which were incorporated into the workshops’ design and delivery were underpinned by science communication practices. The conclusions presented include: the possibility of a constructivist framework for short-term professional development; the need for greater involvement of science communication in science education reform; and the unique challenges which confront science teachers from non-Western cultures.

This article reports the principal findings and recommendations of the Research Roadmap Panel for Public Communication of Science and Technology in the Twenty-first Century. Beginning in 1998, the Space Sciences Laboratory at NASA's George C. Marshall Space Flight Center chartered a fifteen-member working group to develop a research strategy that would address the big questions in science communication academic research and identify the best practices in science and technology communication as they are being implemented in research institutions across the United States and abroad. The working group met eight times at various U.S. research institutions, invited science communicators and others to meet with them, and solicited public and other comment in preparation for this article.

This book consists of 17 chapters grouped into five parts with a sixth part offering ‘Further Exploration’ of the topics addressed in the 17 chapters. The chapters are all scholarly and well refere...

Digital information and communication technologies (ICTs) are novelty tools that can be used to facilitate broader involvement of citizens in the discussions about science. The same tools can be used to reinforce the traditional top-down model of science communication. Empirical investigations of particular technologies can help to understand how these tools are used in the dissemination of information and knowledge as well as stimulate a dialog about better models and practices of science communication. This study focuses on one of the ICTs that have already been adopted in science communication, on science blogging. The findings from the analysis of eleven blogs are presented in an attempt to understand current practices of science blogging and to provide insight into the role of blogging in the promotion of more interactive forms of science communication.

This paper critically revises my contribution [1] to the EMCSR PhD Colloquium, bringing it up-to-speed with my current research. In this paper I consider how my research aligns itself with a strengthening transdisciplinary mode of research across the academic world, particularly in relation to art-science research. I take a certain imaginative and narrative license, by abstracting connections between the following: Ludwig von Bertalannfy’s General System Theory and Velimr Khlebnikov’s Avant-Garde Poetry and Essays, and emergent Transdisciplinary theories. Through a contiguous analysis of these abstractions, the intention is to set in motion resonances between them, oriented towards of a particular concern to develop the discourse and practice of science communication. The paper explores the potential for embracing the possibilities of contiguous analysis, literal-metaphor, and ‘in-reach’ within a telecommunications research centre that is opening itself out to other cultures and ways-of-knowing. [1] The Title of my initial Paper was ‘ Tracing the Past, Writing the Future: The Important Case of Poetry, Telecommunications Engineering and von Bertalanffy’s General System Theory ’.