"The book provides a concise, informative, comprehensive, and current overview of key issues in the field of science communication, the background of science communication, its theoretical bases, and its links to science communication practice. Especially the link between theory / research and practice is very well developed in the book and in the individual chapters. I think that is valuable for both readers new to the field of science communication, but also for those who identify with only one of these sides … it is indeed a comprehensive and concise overview, convincing in its aim to link theory, research, and practice and I will definitely use it for my lectures on science communication."
JCOM – Journal of Science Communication
A concise, coherent and easily readable textbook about the field of science communication, connecting the practice of science communicators with theory. In the book, recent trends and shifts in the field resonate, such as the transition from telling about science to interacting with the public and the importance of science communication in health and environmental communication. The chapters have been written by experts in their disciplines, coming from philosophy of science and communication studies to health communication and science journalism. Cases from around the world illustrate science communication in practice. The book provides a broad, up-to-date and coherent introduction to science communication for both, students of science communication and related fields, as well as professionals.
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Sample Chapter(s)
Foreword
Chapter 1: Setting the Scene
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Contents:
- Foreword
- List of Contributing Authors
- Setting the Scene (Anne M Dijkstra, Liesbeth de Bakker, Frans van Dam, and Eric A Jensen)
- Views of Science (Edwin Koster and Frank Kupper)
- The Process of Communicating Science (Caroline Wehrmann and Anne M Dijkstra)
- Science in Dialogue (Roald Verhoeff and Frank Kupper)
- Informal Science Education (Anne M Land-Zandstra, Liesbeth de Bakker, and Eric A Jensen)
- Science Journalism (Mark Bos and Frank Nuijens)
- Risk Communication (Henk Mulder and Erwin van Rijswoud)
- Health Communication (Madelief G B C Bertens, Joanne N Leerlooijer, and Maria E Fernandez)
- Environmental Communication (Liesbeth de Bakker and Eric A Jensen)
- Research in Science Communication (Anne M Dijkstra and Craig Cormick)
Readership: Researchers and students from all fields who are interested in the basics of communicating science and technology.
"It contains a wealth of information for students at all levels, for communication professionals as well as for researchers in science communication. Publication of this book is a milestone in the world of science communication and will be welcomed by all those working in this field ... I recommend this book to all those who are interested in communicating science: scientists, lecturers and students in science communication, policy makers at the interface of science and society, and professionals in science communication."
Prof. Dr Martin Goedhart
Institute for Science Education and Communication
"The book provides a concise, informative, comprehensive, and current overview of key issues in the field of science communication, the background of science communication, its theoretical bases, and its links to science communication practice. Especially the link between theory / research and practice is very well developed in the book and in the individual chapters. I think that is valuable for both readers new to the field of science communication, but also for those who identify with only one of these sides … it is indeed a comprehensive and concise overview, convincing in its aim to link theory, research, and practice and I will definitely use it for my lectures on science communication."
JCOM – Journal of Science Communication
"It is well written, informative, interesting, and thought-provoking. As an overview of the field of science communication, it focuses on breadth, but the depth and complexity of each topic are obvious and make clear to readers that the opportunities for specializing in the field are far more extensive than implied by the topics of the 10 chapters. I especially recommend the book to young adults looking for an academic or a career focus and for older adults looking to change careers or to expand their options in their existing careers."
EASE Digest
Frans van Dam is lecturer in science communication and manager of education innovation at the Freudenthal Institute, Utrecht University. He initiated the development of the predecessor of this book, Wetenschapscommmunicatie, een kennisbasis (in Dutch), BoomLemma, Den Haag, 2014. In Utrecht, he co-coordinated an EU project aimed at integrating socio-scientific issues and inquiry-based learning in primary and secondary STEM education (www.parrise.eu, 2014–2017). Prior to his position in Utrecht, he worked as manager of an educational program on the biobased economy for Delft University of Technology. At Radboud University Nijmegen, Frans was head of communications for a national centre studying the societal aspects of the life sciences. At the Dutch consumers union, he has been policy advisor and lobbyist in the area of biotechnology, foods and farm animals. He co-organized the national debates on xenotransplantation (1999-2001) and genetically modified foods (2001).
Liesbeth de Bakker is lecturer in science communication at the master programme Science Education and Communication of Utrecht University. Within science communication, she focuses mainly on informal science education. She teaches at the bachelor's and master's level and develops her own courses and projects. She coordinates the students' product development internships and supervises many of these projects. From 2013-2017 she was involved in the EU-funded project SYNENERGENE, which was focused on facilitating public dialogue about synthetic biology. Liesbeth studied biology at Leiden University (NL) and science communication (postgraduate level) at Imperial College (UK). She worked in science journalism at Radio Netherlands the Dutch International Service for 9 years before becoming a science communication lecturer. She was editor of the Dutch predecessor of this book: "Wetenschapscommunicatie, een kennisbasis (2014)".
Anne Dijkstra (PhD) is an assistant professor in Science Communication at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. Prior to her academic work, she worked as a science communication advisor. Anne studies the changing science-society relationship from a communication perspective. Her research focuses on understanding this relationship and, in particular, roles of the public, as well as, roles of researchers. Studies often relate to emerging technologies such as nanotechnology, biotechnology or human enhancement. Key words: public participation, science communication, risk communication and responsible research and innovation. She is involved in European funded projects NUCLEUS (No 664932, from 2015–2019) and GoNano (No 768622, 2017–2020). She was a visiting researcher at Newcastle University and a visitor at the Institute of Advanced Study at Durham University. She teaches courses related to the science-society relationship about science communication, science journalism, and responsible innovation. As a volunteer, she co-organizes public meetings for the Science Café Deventer.
Eric A Jensen is a social scientist with a global reputation in science communication evaluation. Jensen's track record includes 13 external grants, 40 articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Public Understanding of Science, Conservation Letters and Nature, 5 books by publishers such as Cambridge University Press and SAGE and numerous influential reports for government and non-profit organisations such as the UK government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Department for Environment, Food, & Rural Affairs, Arts Council England, the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement, the European Commission, Association of Science & Technology Centers and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Jensen is a Senior Research Advisor at the Institute for Methods Innovation (methodsinnovation.org), Senior Data Scientist at Inscico (Institute for Science & Innovation Communication) and Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Warwick. His PhD in sociology is from the University of Cambridge.