Science as she is spoken: authentic voices or public relations

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Herman, Ros

Affiliations: c/o The Library, Cranfield University, Cranfield, MK43 0AL, UK

Abstract: Over the last decade, scientists have revived the art of sharing their mental worlds with non-scientists. However, the fruits of science not only enter our intellectual culture, but also form a backdrop to our everyday lives. Journalists and scientists now work together to provide enough information to help people deal with new developments, both practically and as citizens. Three aspects of this process have, however, been neglected. Scientists need to establish and promulgate a professional ethos of transparency to the public domain based on traditional freedoms of communication within science. Scientists also need to work out a way of making the communication two-way. In the longer run, science may also need to find a way into people’s lives and imaginations in the same way as the environment has. More broadly, analysis of the links between professional ethos and communication practices of expert groups, including scientists, could complement current approaches to information science.science research.

DOI: 10.3233/ISU-1999-19207

Journal: Information Services & Use, vol. 19, no. 2, pp. 83-88, 1999