Bias in Science Communication
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Frascati Scienza is a non-profit organization that has organized the annual European Researchers' Night event in Italy for 12 years, involving over 50 partner institutions across 30 Italian cities. The 2018-2019 theme will be "Be a Citizen Scientist", encouraging public participation in mini citizen science projects with researchers. Over the past years the event has grown from involving 3 research centers and 70 participants in 2006 to over 50 partners and 50,000 visitors in 2017. Science communication aims to communicate science topics to non-experts through various means, and also includes communication between scientists and with policymakers. However, science popularization also risks mystification, exploitation of results, and limitations on science freedom, requiring responsibility from researchers.
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Bias in Science Communication
- 1. Science Communication a New Frontier of Researcher's Job G. Mazzitelli LNF-INFN - Frascati Scienza gmazzitelligiovannimazzitelli.blog
- 2. European Researchers' Night The European Researchers' Night is a project promoted by the European Commission through a biennial call for 8 million euro (12 since 2018) of MSCA to perform the last Friday of September a festival dedicated to bring RESEARCHERS and PUBLIC AT LARGE closer to each other and at stimulating young people to embark on scientific CAREERS. Involve more then 300 European cities, 50 Italian cities, 30 of which under the coordination of Frascati Scienza Frascati Scienza is a non-profit association of researchers and the public, supported by public institutions, universities and by the major Italian research centres that organised since 12 years the European Researchers' Night, transforming the Tuscolana area and Rome in the epicentre of Italian research.
- 3. Science Communication Science communication is the communication of science topics to non- experts. This involves professional scientists ("outreach" or "popularization"), but also professional of the communication field. It includes science manifestation, exhibitions, journalism, policy or media production, blogging, use of social network, ecc. Science communication also includes communication between scientists (for instance through scientific journals), as well as between scientists and non-scientists, policy makers, industries, entrepreneurs, ecc. (especially during public controversies over science and in citizen science initiatives)
- 4. Frascati scienza #ERN in numbers In 2017: about 50.000 visitors were counted, more then 900 researchers were involved, 30 millions people were aware about ERN messages, with more then 500 press/tv/web outcome. We have started in 2006 with 3 research centres located in the Frascati area, we are now more than 50 partners spread over 30 Italian cities >20 millions of visualisations of the science pills and prize for no profit awareness campaign CERN, EMC
- 5. The Science and Scientist Bias
- 7. age bias
- 8. genderbias
- 11. methodology bias credits Prof Svein Sjøberg UiO The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a worldwide study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in member and non-member nations intended to evaluate educational systems by measuring 15-year-old school pupils' scholastic performance on mathematics, science, and reading
- 14. social bias
- 16. Don't Be The Turkey […] There is a risk of ending up like Bertrand Russell and Karl Popper's famous Inductivist Turkey. Russell presented the example of a turkey that was very well cared for, receiving food and water every day. The turkey got used to this comfortable situation, feeling increasingly secure and confident. The turkey's trust grew every day before being broken suddenly (and tragically, at least from the point of view of the turkey) on Thanksgiving Day! Russell used the poor turkey to demonstrate the inductivist trap: the risk of believing that the past contains all the useful information we need on the future. […] https://www.gam.com/en/insights-content/anti-panic-manual-don-t-be-the-turkey/
- 17. bias in science communication • stereotype bias • age bias • gender bias • technological bias • methodology bias (literacy) • social bias
- 18. E R N 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 1 9 T H E M E : B E E S B E A C I T I Z E N S C I E N T I S T “BE A CITIZEN SCIENTIST” WILL BE THE SLOGAN OF EUROPEAN R E S E A R C H E R S ' N I G H T O R G A N I Z E D B Y F R A S C A T I S C I E N Z A I N 3 6 ITALIAN CITIES. 59 PARTNERS - RESEARCH CENTRES, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTES, UNIVERSITIES, CULTURAL AND SCIENTIFIC CENTRES AND A S S O C I A T I O N S O F S C I E N C E C O M M U N I C A T I O N - W I L L W O R K T O G E T H E R W I T H C I T I Z E N S T O I N C R E A S E T H E S P R E A D A N D RELEVANCE OF THE MESSAGE THAT SCIENCE AND THE RESEARCHERS' W O R K H A V E T O B E A C T I V E L Y P A R T I C I P A T E D B Y T H E S O C I E T Y . EVENTS WILL BE DESIGNED TO INVOLVE THE PUBLIC, IN PARTICULAR YOUNG PEOPLE, TO BE CO-PROTAGONIST. CITIZENS NOT ONLY IN THE DEBATE ABOUT SCIENCE BUT THRILLING THEM IN DIRECTLY E X P E R I E N C E T H E D I S C O V E R Y O F S C I E N C E . C I T I Z E N S W I L L P A R T I C I P A T E I N M I N I C I T I Z E N S C I E N C E P R O J E C T S W O R K I N G TOGETHER WITH RESEARCHERS. 2 0 1 8 E U R O P E A N Y E A R O F T H E C U L T U R A L H E R I T A G E
- 19. 2 0 0 6 — > 2 0 1 7 - P R O J E C T ( R ) E V O L U T I O N • 2006 - COME IN (Condividiamo Mille Emozioni Insieme - Lets share thousand emotions together) • 2007 - AGORA’ (AlleGria Oltre la Ricerca - enjoy beyond/with research/ers) • 2008 - The EOS (Eyes On Researchers) • 2009 - SAY (Scientist Around Youth) • 2010 - BEST (focus on collaboration with European partners, ERASMUS MC/CERN) • 2011 - BRAIN (Be in contact with Research And its Institutions Network for a night) • 2012 - RESPEcT (RESearchers - Pure Energy from Tip to Toe) • 2013 - TRAiL (Taste the ReseArchers‟ Life) • 2014/15 - DREAMS (focus on Sustainability and Responsibility of Science -RRI ) • 2016/17 - MADE IN SCIENCE (focus on effective benefits of science) • 2017/18 - BEES (focus on participated and collaborated science) deficit model —> dialogue model —> participative model
- 20. the Method: be pop, Be science meets the researchers research infrastructure visits remote labs science theatres science tours research @ hospitalsspeed dates interviews & debates science exhibit public lectures research @ square roundtables
- 21. the effort growth 38 82 181 205 240 70 70 91 171 165 63 155 287 406 385 23 43 37 52 53 0 125 250 375 500 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 # of press outcome # of web outcome # of ERN events # of partners 2013 2014 2016 20172015
- 22. audience recentex-postresults 40% < 30 46% -> 6-7-8 how many editions did you attended? gender
- 23. B L O G G E R S , R E P O R T E R S , S O C I A L M E D I A M A N A G E R S
- 25. frascatiscienza.it magazine 2015 2017 magazine impact science pills post impact
- 27. the risks of a science popularisation & science evolution due to society evolution • mystification: vaccines, autism, ogm, homeopathy, xylella history, … • feedback risks: turkey example, funds coercion, science freedom limitation, … • exploitation of science and science results (positive or negative) to argue “my” theses: conspiracy theories, democracy, populism… • evaluation, JIF, predatory publishers: fake paper (open-source-pear review) and conferences…
- 28. researchers & communication responsibility (RRI nut not only) bad news predatory publishers growth researchers who have published more than 72 articles in a year
- 29. Eurobarometer: PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION http://ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/index.cfm scienceandtechnology wewillhaveapositiveimpact people’s behaviour and action will have a positive impact 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 [%] [%] 70 65 60 55 50 45 40 35 30 25
- 30. Eurobarometer: PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION “On most issues, respondents in all countries are more likely to think that positive impacts can be achieved through science and innovation than through people’s actions and behaviour. A notable exception is the reduction of inequalities, which is seen in most countries as more of an area for human intervention. The issue of job creation is one of the two most prioritized by Europeans when they are asked which issues science and technology innovation should focus on over the next 15 years. However, respondents in some countries tend to believe less in the capacity of science and technological innovation to have a positive impact on this issue […] However, there are substantial differences from country to country when it comes to the expectation of whether science and innovation, and also people’s actions and behaviour, can have positive impacts. Respondents in some countries are very optimistic about these issues, notably those in the Nordic countries, Ireland, Malta and Spain. On the other hand, respondents in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Greece and Italy have consistently lower expectations that there will be positive changes over the next 15 years either through science and technological innovation or through the behaviour of citizens.” http://ec.europa.eu/commfrontoffice/publicopinion/index.cfm
- 31. impact of science communication scientists environmental associations priests and religious journalists citizens associations entrepreneurs policy maker 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 most credible interlocutors for scientific subjects 2009 2011 2013 2015 people interviewed believes this is mainly related to the growth of information, science manifestation, science shows and the closer connection with researchers. let me work - 25% I have to communicate - 23% do it together - 18% is important - 18% i explain you - 18% attitudes of researchers science literacy
- 32. A W A R D E D T H R E E T I M E S : X I V E D I T I O N O F P R I C E S A N B E R N A R D I N O “ P U B B L I C I T À S O C I A L M E N T E R E S P O N S A B I L E N E L L A C A T E G O R I A N O P R O F I T ” , O C T O B E R 2 0 1 6 ; P R I C E B A Y E R “ X I I E D I Z I O N E D I C O R T I N A M E T R A G G I O ” , C O R T I N A , I T A L Y , M A R C H 2 0 1 7 ; A W A R D E D A T 1 3 R D E D I T I O N O F C I N E M A I T A L I A N S T Y L E , L O S A N G E L E S 1 6 - 3 1 N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 7 DirectedbyAlessioLauriaeFrancescoLettieri,writtenbyMirkoCetrangolo,AlessioLauriaeFrancescoLettieri andwithGianlucaMusiuandthevoceofChiaraColizzi
- 33. Thank you… Thank you A C O C K T A I L E X C U S E M E , W H A T A R E Y O U D O I N G ? B E E S E R N 2 0 1 8 C R E D I T S : H T T P : / / W W W . F R A S C A T I S C I E N Z A . I T / gmazzitelligiovannimazzitelli.blog