Journal of Science Communication (JCOM)

Visible sources and invisible risks: exploring the impact of AI disclosure on perceived credibility of AI-generated content With the widespread use of AI-generated content (AIGC) on social media, its potential to spread misinformation poses threats to the public. Although AI disclosure is widely promoted as a transparency ...

Do AI transparency tools make us more vulnerable to misinformation? Find out about the “truth-falsity crossover effect" that occurs when AI disclosure labels might be backfiring 🤖@atengcc5.bsky.social - doi.org/10.22323/358... #scicomm #misinformation #AItools

How do women scientists in Spain feel about digital #scicomm? It relates to the social value of science communication and a range of intrinsic motivations - find out more jcom.sissa.it/article/pubi...

Call for Abstracts for a JCOM Focus Collection on communication and engagement around antimicrobial resistance (AMR) Theme: Reimagining AMR Communication and Engagement: Strategies, Stories, and Social Change   Editor-in-Charge: Marina Joubert; Stellenbosch University (South Africa) Guest editors:    • Phaik Yeong C...

Are you doing work related to how we communicate about #AMR? JCOM is calling for abstracts for a new special issue on this topic! We are looking for innovative empirical work, reflective practice insights and expert insights. Details at jcom.sissa.it/news/46/ #SciComm

“Everything has changed”: a qualitative study of trends in university communication over the past decade Universities are pivotal in contemporary knowledge societies, bridging science and society. Amidst societal transformations, communication has become crucial for higher education institutions (HEIs). ...

New in JCOM: "Everything has changed!"A qualitative study of Swiss university communication over the past decade. Diversification, professionalisation, intensification… but strategic alignment is lagging behind. doi.org/10.22323/149... - @mss7676.bsky.social @dnvglr.bsky.social

From the lab to the kitchen! Can a board game communicate the culture of science — not just its content? Find out more jcom.sissa.it/article/pubi... (Hint: the best moments happened when players went completely off-script.) #SciComm @medardus.bsky.social @olr.bsky.social @aleksandravdc.bsky.social

What if science showed up where people already are? Like in a bar! "Plötzlich Wissen!" (Sudden Knowledge!) shares 7 years of hard-won lessons in guerrilla #scicomm Packed with practical tips for scientists wanting to reach beyond the choir - doi.org/10.22323/167...
@schroep.bsky.social

What if your classroom was a glacier? 🧊 New paper in @jcom: the #GlacierXperience project puts students ON the ice to do real science: meltwater chemistry, cryoconite, CO₂ capture & a free 360° #VR version. Climate literacy through experience. #SciComm
🔗 doi.org/10.22323/165620251230125923

Cultural and communicative pathways in grassroots science and innovation: field research learnings from under-resourced rural India This article examines grassroots innovation in under-resourced regions of rural India, where science communication emerges through culturally resonant and locally grounded practices in informal settin...

Grassroots #Scicomm in rural India with solutions ranging from sound-based tiger deterrents in forest-edge agriculture to community engineers turning bicycle dynamos into mobile chargers; celebrating local ingenuity, culture & co-creation in engagement jcom.sissa.it/article/pubid/JCOM_2502_2026_A01/

Thank you @drclairemurray.com and @jessamynfairfield.bsky.social and co-authors for this paper taking #scicomm to new places in society!

It's (not) rocket science to think with gender: supporting students to develop confidence in talking about gender through outer space outreach activities “What might our lives in outer space look like in the future? And how will those lives be shaped by gender?” These were the questions that directed students in a science communication activity in the ...

“What might our lives in outer space look like in the future? And how will those lives be shaped by gender?” Find out more in this #scicomm practice insight from JCOM - jcom.sissa.it/article/pubi...

Engaging science: audience perceptions of informal science communication on Arabic YouTube channels This study investigates the emotional and cognitive responses of Arabic-speaking audiences to informal science communication on YouTube. Focusing on three prominent Arabic YouTube channels that provid...

New in JCOM: how science content on YouTube shapes both emotion and understanding among Arabic-speaking audiences. From humour to serious talk, different styles trigger different kinds of engagement; humour can do more than entertain. #scicomm
👉 jcom.sissa.it/article/pubi...

A new JCOM special issue on 'science in unexpected places' features how science can escape from labs and offices and engage people in bars, parks, escape rooms & more! jcom.sissa.it/collections/... #scicomm in the real world. [Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash]

Exploring Chemistry: the impact of an interactive chemistry model on student motivation in non-formal education spaces The negative image of Chemistry that students have, associated with chemophobia, reflects the decontextualized way in which the subject is often taught. This study investigates how an interactive chem...

Chemophobia isn’t inevitable. 🧪An interactive chemistry exhibit was designed to boost learners’ interest, confidence & motivation; it sparked aspirations for study. Evidence-based #Scicomm making a real difference. doi.org/10.22323/167... @arianec-rocha.bsky.social @krollsteola.bsky.social

Can an escape room change how people engage with climate science? This study shows how a climate-themed STEM escape room engaged non-science audiences, fostered immersion & curiosity, and operated across online & in-person formats. Fun, but serious #scicomm →
jcom.sissa.it/article/pubi...

A feeling for the facts: intuitive epistemic identity predicts a non-consensus interpretation of a misleading clean energy meme The purpose of this study is to show how intuitive epistemic beliefs and intuitive epistemic social identity contribute to misperceptions about science. Using a misleading clean energy meme for contex...

A study by @aeich.bsky.social shows how people’s intuitive ways of knowing can lead to misinterpretations of scientific information and highlights the importance of #scicomm that connects with intuitive thinkers - doi.org/10.22323/149... [Image: April A. Eichmeier]

Evidence in the service of dissent: strategic communication of science by German corona-protest movements This study investigates how Germany’s anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protest movement, led mainly by the Querdenken network, allied with conspiracist and far-right groups, utilized scientific authorit...

A study of German COVID-19 protest movements shows that science wasn’t rejected online but rather strategically used. Analysing Telegram data, the authors reveal how scientific claims were mobilised to challenge policy during moments of uncertainty = jcom.sissa.it/article/pubi...

Science News Agencies in science communication: an exploratory index for evaluating and enhancing public interest in mass-distributed press releases Scientific press releases are reaching the public directly through press reproduction and institutional dissemination. Science News Agencies (SNAs) mediate this process, distributing texts to thousand...

Are press releases about science mostly about marketing & PR, or do they also serve the public and help to make science more inclusive? Find out more in this new #scicomm paper hot off the JCOM press: jcom.sissa.it/article/pubi...

Translating research into play: design insights for evidence-based science games in museum settings Digital games in museums face the challenge of translating complex scientific concepts into engaging experiences that facilitate both individual learning and peer discussion. This practice insight exa...

New Practice Insight in JCOM explores how evidence-based game design can translate complex science into play. Using a museum touchscreen game on the human microbiome, the study shows what works, and where social learning still falls short: jcom.sissa.it/article/pubi...

Where does affect go? Exploring the (online) sharing of affective nature experiences by ecological citizen scientists Online citizen science platforms for nature observations provide valuable data for nature enthusiasts and scientists, but typically emotions and feelings experienced in nature are not shared there. Th...

Where does affect go?” A new study on how ecological citizen scientists share (or don’t share) feelings & emotions tied to nature experiences, and what that means for engagement, connection, and science communication. A fresh take on affect in #citizenscience. 📢🧠🌿 doi.org/10.22323/151...

Strengthening practice-research connections to improve evaluation: perspectives of science communication practitioners Researchers and practitioners have emphasised the importance of evaluating science communication, but agree that, on the one hand, much research on evaluation does not find its way into practice, and ...

This practice insight in JCOM explores how #scicomm teams want to do evaluation better, but shows they need time, skills and real partnerships with researchers. A strong case for closer links between research and practice - jcom.sissa.it/article/pubi...

Towards a terroir approach to science communication and its evidencing This essay proposes terroir as a metaphor for rethinking science communication. In contrast to dominant calls for a science of science communication, grounded in broadly replicable and generalisable m...

What if good #scicomm wasn’t about control or clarity, but about cultivating resonance shaped by where you are and who you are with? This paper explores how embracing terroir could change how (and why) we communicate science - doi.org/10.22323/161...

Can highlighting expert agreement increase support for #nuclear power? This study shows consensus messaging can work, but invoking political identity may backfire, offering key lessons for science communication on polarised topics - doi.org/10.22323/149...

Who supports STEM early career researchers' active science communication? A qualitative ego-network-analysis Early career researchers (ECRs) are increasingly socialised in professional environments where science communication is seen as part of their academic role. ECRs respond to these expectations differen...

Exploring #scicomm support for young STEM researchers in Germany --- who, what, how and why! Find out more in this new paper from JCOM - doi.org/10.22323/156...

When the public disagrees: differential effects of negative user comments and form of evidence on scientists’ trustworthiness Scientists and experts using social media platforms to engage with the public risk negative public feedback, potentially harming their efforts. This paper addresses how negative user comments affect e...

New JCOM research on how emotional comments shape trust in scientists on social media. Evidence still matters in #scicomm jcom.sissa.it/article/pubi...

Scaffolding in science mediation: a superhero-based educational initiative to explore how mediators support students' knowledge appropriation This practice insight examines how science mediators facilitate students' appropriation of scientific knowledge. It focuses on the Science of Superheroes initiative, which is an informal education cur...

How can science mediators support learning and creativity? This JCOM practice insight explores a “Science of Superheroes” activity and what it reveals about effective mediation in informal science learning - jcom.sissa.it/article/pubi... #scicomm

The implications of self-reported and physiologically measured disgust sensitivity for climate change risk perception This study examines the relationship between disgust sensitivity and climate change risk perceptions, using both self-reported and psychophysiological measures of disgust sensitivity. We find that dis...

New in JCOM: A study on how disgust sensitivity shapes climate risk perceptions. Self-reported disgust links to greater concern, but physiological measures tell a different story. Fascinating read: jcom.sissa.it/article/pubi...

Exploring the role of partnerships in enabling public engagement by Long-Term Ecological Research programs This study explores how organizations that conduct scientific research support communication activities, including activities aimed at fostering public engagement. It uses qualitative, thematic analys...

How do US-based ecological research sites organise public engagement; and how do partnerships benefit ethical and effective implementation? doi.org/10.22323/157...

@johnbesley.bsky.social

Public communication of science by Argentinean researchers: changes and continuities in a digital world Starting from the premise that public science communication practices have changed in recent years, this paper asks where these changes are heading and what factors can explain them. We conducted a su...

#Scicomm in Argentina is changing. Researchers use digital media to share their work and connect with the public; evaluation is making a difference! jcom.sissa.it/article/pubi...

New book review by @richard-holliman.bsky.social is out in JCOM, exploring "The Whispers of Rock" by Anjana Khatwa — a compelling blend of geology, storytelling and Indigenous knowledge that challenges how we think about expertise, belonging and equity in science. jcom.sissa.it/article/pubi...

Journal of Science Communication | Collection:

“Emotions and Science Communication” is the focus of the latest special issue of JCOM. Discover how curiosity, awe, anxiety, and hope shape how science is seen, shared and trusted. #scicomm jcom.sissa.it/collections/...