Roneka Muhammed
PhD Student, College of Nursing
University of Utah
Communication of science is
multilayered
Communication of science is
multilayered and must be tailored according to the desired audience. For the
purpose of this blog post consider two distinct audiences: Scientist and
non-scientist. The spectrum of the documentation of
science communication with different forms of media is broad and it is
necessary to pay attention to the pulse of the shift of public attention.
Traditional methods of research
communication and dissemination
The traditional methods of research
dissemination include publications in peer-reviewed professional, technical and
academic journals. Other publications like books, research reports, conference
papers, news letters and research forums are also classical methods of the way
that research scientist disseminate research data. These traditional methods
offer low information accessibility to the lay person. They are aimed only
toward the scientific community as an audience.
The scientific community’s
responsibility to laymen
In this digital age the world is
becoming smaller. Although laymen do not have the training nor capacity to
discern good from bad science, nor what a quality research article should
entail. The science is neither visible nor transparent. Scientist bear the
burden of fundamentally looking at results and determining whether research
study designs, analysis appropriation and assertion of reproducibility. We must
find novel ways for scientist to engage and communicate with non-scientist in
the world community.
Communication of and dissemination
of research and the relationship with technology
Chronology of the history of the
change in the methods of the communication and dissemination has followed
alongside of advances in technology and communication. A paradigm shift from
traditional forms of publications that began in the mid-1970’s with the
emergence electronic journals. In 1983 when the Academic American Encyclopedia
was published in a CD-ROM. The introduction of the world-wide-web made
electronic publishing more popular. Several traditional newspapers launched
online versions in 1996. In this present time social media forums, open access
formats, the media and electronic press, post-publication peer-review, and
on-line reference managers make research more accessible to the layman as an
audience.
The application of social media in research
Social media is the most common form of emerging
information, communication, and internet application use. According to Cann,
Dimitriou, and Hooly in their publication Social Media: A guide for
researchers, applications for research include identification of knowledge and
more access to knowledge that was formerly nonvisible to non-scientist. They
also noted quality assurance of knowledge as a significant application.
Tangible examples of ways to certify and make research data
available to the public using media
There are novel ways for scientist to disseminate research
being explored. Pre-publication, which is posting an article on-line with a set
comment period to allow comment and critique. The authors would then be given
opportunity to edit with the publication house maintaining the authority to
accept or reject the article with weight given to feedback received from the
public. Another interesting discussion is in the experimental stages. With this
method the focus is videotaping and publishing the media in an on-line
platform. The public and scientific entities can see the experiment being
performed. Researchers are vulnerable to public comment about rigor and
adherence (or non-adherence) to the proposed methods. This latter method may
help the general public better understand what scientist do because the would
have access to the written proposal and the visual aid to follow.
A word about Predatory Publications
Predatory publications publish articles with little or no
reviews in exchange for charging the author a monetary fee. The editors of
these publications sometimes have perverse incentives because they are volume
motivated. Resulting in a high acceptance rate and lower quality articles.
These publications may be very attractive to new academic faculty members as
they have incentive to maximize their number of citations to show that they are
having an influence in the science of their discipline. In contrast, there are
a number of on-line and open source publications that are reputable. These
publications utilize the traditional blind reviewer journal review process. The
quality of the articles presented in these publications are considered to be of
high quality.
Benefits of using social media to communicate and
disseminate research
The increase in sharing and visibility of science would
increase the value of science in public and political arenas. Networking,
feedback and discussion of the science would reduce the time that research
results reach the stakeholders and the general public.
No substitutions
There is a place for both the traditional forms of research
dissemination and new forms of dissemination through electronic and media
forums. According to Dr. Mollie Cummins, at the University of Utah’s School of
Nursing, “We as scientist new to use new media forms of communication of
science, however, these new forms do not replace peer reviewed journals. Rather
they are paired with peer reviewed journals to communicate science with the end
user audience.”
Conclusion
Initially, my thoughts about scientist’s initial distaste
and criticisms of social media and open-source forums had to do with elitism. A
closer look at those in academia that are embracing these new formats of
research communication and dissemination highlight the reality that the
non-scientist are not equipped with the tools and understanding of how to
decipher good science from bad science. Indeed, the burden of translation of
what constitutes that distinction falls to scientist. It is a pragmatic way
that we can use our influence and knowledge to help advocate for the
advancement of research priorities to improve the human condition.
References
Cann, A., Dimitriou, K., Hooley. T. (2011) Social Media: A
Guide for Reseachers. London:
Research Information Network.
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