Communication about science is more than ‘giving the facts’. In times of global challenges, rapid technological developments and information overload, or even more urgently the coronavirus, effective science communication interventions need to be carefully thought through and designed. The new book Science Communication – An Introduction, edited by Frans van Dam, Liesbeth de Bakker, our GoNano partner Anne M. Dijkstra, and Eric A. Jensen, is written by experts and practitioners in the field.
The book is 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 international 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. Each chapter may be read as a standalone and in any order.
The editors, Frans van Dam and Liesbeth de Bakker (Utrecht University), Anne M. Dijkstra (University of Twente) and Eric A. Jensen (Institute for Methods Innovation) are experienced lecturers, specialising in the areas of science communication, public engagement and sociology. The motivation behind writing this book is that the practice of science communication can be improved substantially, by connecting it with theory. In this way science communicators from around the world can learn from each other, in spite of the great diversity in cultural contexts.
World Scientific Series on Science Communication
The book is the first in a new series on public communication of science writes the editor-in-chief Hans Peter Peters in the book. The books in the series deal with communication of and about science involving non-scientists and taking place in the public sphere. The series are open to analysis of all forms of public communication and interaction: journalism, public relations of science, blogs, social media public participation, citizen science and other collaborations between scientists and citizens and more. Books may, for example, focus on content and processes of messages, on public controversies, on issues of quality, ethics and trust. For more information, contact World Scientific.
The book has been published by World Scientific Publishing Company and the first chapter ‘Setting the scene’ is free available.
Until the end of May the book is available on World Scientific with a 30% reduction with the code WSSCICOM30.
