Practices and experiences of science communication: what scientists write beyond academia

Other conference contribution, 2022

Scientists’ communication outside academia—science communication—has been researched extensively in the Social Sciences, examining its value and role in society (Davies, 2020). In Applied Linguistics, recent work such as Luzón and Pérez-Llantada (2019) investigates the constellations of genres and practices that comprise academic writing, yet questions remain about scientists’ own perspective and experiences with science communication. What genres are written by scientists, beyond publication? What can we learn from their experiences? To address these questions, we conducted a two-year project at a university of technology. In phase one, we adopted content and network analysis to map most frequently text types, topics, fields, and collaborative networks. Results indicate that science communication is done mostly by tenured academics in fields where research has a clear impact on society. In phase two, we investigated established scientists’ experiences through ethnographic interviews: what they write, how and why, and the role of science communication in their work life and career. Despite their different stories, common themes emerged. First, their motives denote ”scholarship of engagement” (Boyer, 1996): science communication aimed to propagate scientific knowledge, educate and engage (as opposed to marketization). Secondly, writing practices are tied to the nature of their work—comprising texts such as industry reports, non-fiction, and debate articles. Thirdly, they write for intrinsic motives, mostly in their spare time and without training or support. We suggest directions for further research and the development of training programs that build on genre pedagogy.
 
Boyer, E. L. (1996). The scholarship of engagement. Bulletin of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 49(7), 18-33.
Davies, S. R. (2020). An Empirical and Conceptual Note on Science Communication’s Role in Society. Science Communication, 43(1), 116–133.
Luzón, M. J., & Pérez-Llantada, C. (2019). Science communication on the internet : Old genres meet new genres. John Benjamins Publishing.