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Science Communication

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Encyclopedia of Science Education
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Science communication has been described as a process by which the scientific culture and its knowledge become incorporated into the common culture. This broad definition encompasses a variety of communication styles which may be envisaged as being distributed across a continuum. On this continuum, simple one-way communication of science is at one end, with many who term themselves science communicators engaged in one-way activity. Science journalism is in this category; it also includes informative articles in the press, screening a television documentary, placing science on the Internet, or presenting a new exhibition in a science center. There is clearly no expectation by the writers, designers, and producers that they will engage in two-way communication, but rather that they are transmittinginformation to whatever audience is willing to listen, play, read, or watch. One-way communication of science also promotes science careers and the need to improve the poor science...

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  • Burns TW, O’Connor DJ, Stocklmayer SM (2003) Science communication: a contemporary definition. Public Underst Sci 12:183–202

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  • Research Councils UK (2002) Dialogue with the public: practical guidelines. Research Councils UK, London

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  • Stocklmayer SM, Bryant C (2012) Science and the public – what should people know? Int J Sci Educ Sci Commun Engagem 2:81–101

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Correspondence to Susan Stocklmayer .

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© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Stocklmayer, S. (2012). Science Communication. In: Gunstone, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Science Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6165-0_324-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6165-0_324-2

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