Public communication of science by Argentinean researchers: changes and continuities in a digital world

Abstract

Over the last two decades, and especially in the last years, we have witnessed significant changes in the way science is communicated. The literature reports changes in the general dynamics of connecting scientists and scientific institutions with society [Entradas et al., 2020], in the actors and types of activities [Jensen, 2011; Kreimer et al., 2011], in the formats [Kopecka-Piech & Łódzki, 2022], in the languages and media [Büchi, 2017; Liang et al., 2014; Väliverronen, 2021], among others. As the Bodmer Report [The Royal Society, 1985] recognised, the research community is a key player in institutional practices of public communication of knowledge and those activities should be promoted. Since the mid-1990s, there have also been numerous studies analysing the way scientists communicate science at the national level. Only a few studies have led to policies to promote public communication of science (PCS), such as the Royal Society report [2006], In addition, political motives were reported to be the major driving force behind science communication programmes [Weingart & Joubert, 2019]. With a few exceptions, notably in the United Kingdom [Bhatthachary, 2016], France [Jensen, 2011] and the United States [Iyengar & Massey, 2019], there are few studies at the national level that show the evolution of these changes over time and their relationship, if any, with the national policies to promote the activities related to PCS.