Handbook of Public Communication of Science and Technology

Massimiano Bucchi, Brian Trench

Routledge, Jun 3, 2008 - Science - 288 pages

Comprehensive yet accessible, this key Handbook provides an up-to-date overview of the fast growing and increasingly important area of ‘public communication of science and technology’, from both research and practical perspectives. As well as introducing the main issues, arenas and professional perspectives involved, it presents the findings of earlier research and the conclusions previously drawn. Unlike most existing books on this topic, this unique volume couples an overview of the practical problems faced by practitioners with a thorough review of relevant literature and research.

The practical Handbook format ensures it is a student-friendly resource, but its breadth of scope and impressive contributors means that it is also ideal for practitioners and professionals working in the field. Combining the contributions of different disciplines (media and journalism studies, sociology and history of science), the perspectives of different geographical and cultural contexts, and by selecting key contributions from appropriate and well-respected authors, this original text provides an interdisciplinary as well as a global approach to public communication of science and technology.

Contents

• Introduction: 1
• 1 Popular science books: 5
• 2 Science journalism: 15
• 3 Science museums and science centres: 27
• 4 Cinematic science: 41
• Theories of public communication of science: 57
• 6 Health campaign research: 77
• The politics and ethics of metaphorical framing: 93
• 8 Survey research on public understanding of science: 111
• 9 Scientists as public experts: 131
• Managing the trust portfolio: 147
• 11 Environmental action groups and other NGOs as communicators of science: 159
• 12 Public participation and dialogue: 173
• Turning science communication insideout?: 185
• Thirdorder thinking about scientific culture: 199
• 15 Public communication of science and technology in developing countries: 213
• 16 Communicating the social sciences: 225
• 17 Evaluating public communication of science and technology: 237
• Index: 253

About the author

Massimiano Bucchi is Professor of Sociology of Science at the University of Trento, Italy. He is author of several books including Science and the Media (Routledge, 1998) and Science in Society (Routledge, 2004), and is co-editor of Journalism, Science and Society Relations (with M. Bauer, Routledge, 2007).

Brian Trench is Senior Lecturer and former Head of the School of Communications, Dublin City University, Ireland. He researches models of science communication, public representations of science and emerging technologies in the knowledge society, and social uses of the internet. He is a member of the scientific committee of the international Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST) network.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Handbook of Public Communication of Science and Technology; Routledge International Handbooks
• Editors: Massimiano Bucchi, Brian Trench
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Routledge, 2008
• ISBN: 1134170149, 9781134170142
• Length: 288 pages
• Subjects: Science / General; Social Science / Sociology / General; Technology & Engineering / General