Showing papers by "Mike S. Schäfer published in 2018"
TL;DR: This work uses latent class analysis to reconstruct four segments: the “Sciencephiles,” with strong interest for science, extensive knowledge, and a pronounced belief in its potential, who use a variety of sources intensively; the ‘Critically Interested,’ who use similar sources but are more cautious toward them; the’Passive Supporters’ with moderate levels of interest, trust, and knowledge and tempered perceptions of science, who used fewer sources.
Abstract: Few studies have assessed whether populations can be divided into segments with different perceptions of science. We provide such an analysis and assess whether these segments exhibit specific patterns of media and information use. Based on representative survey data from Switzerland, we use latent class analysis to reconstruct four segments: the “Sciencephiles,” with strong interest for science, extensive knowledge, and a pronounced belief in its potential, who use a variety of sources intensively; the “Critically Interested,” also with strong interest and support for science but with less trust in it, who use similar sources but are more cautious toward them; the “Passive Supporters” with moderate levels of interest, trust, and knowledge and tempered perceptions of science, who use fewer sources; and the “Disengaged,” who are not interested in science, do not know much about it, harbor critical views toward it, and encounter it—if at all—mostly through television.
72 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that using social media for science and research is at least as likely if not more so as engagement with other topics from similarly serious to lighter domains, and found that platform matters with young adults much more likely to engage with such content on Facebook rather than on Twitter.
Abstract: While considerable research has looked at how people use the Internet for sharing and engaging with various types of content from celebrity news to politics, very little of this work has considered how non-specialists interact with science and research material on social media This article reviews literature on public engagement with science to note that this area is ripe for research on social-media-based engagement in particular Drawing on a survey of American young adults’ online experiences, we show that using social media for science and research is at least as likely if not more so as engagement with other topics from similarly serious to lighter domains We also find that platform matters with young adults much more likely to engage with such content on Facebook rather than on Twitter We end by proposing more focus on this domain in the area of science communication and work on social media
54 citations
TL;DR: This article analysed the coverage by three media organisations (Huffield, vice and BuzzFeed) of the COP21 summit in Paris at the end of 2015 and compared it with that of traditional media, showing that the general spectrum of themes is similar across media outlets, there are differences in the volume of the coverage and in the emphasis that is laid on different themes by some, but not all, of the new players compared to traditional media.
Abstract: Climate change is often seen as a remote, complex or ‘unobtrusive’ topic by the general public – a topic about which many people acquire information mainly from media reporting. However, media landscapes are changing rapidly, particularly with the growth of the internet and social media. A number of new media organisations are challenging traditional media and have gained significant audiences for their environment content. We analyse the coverage by three of these – Huffington Post, Vice and BuzzFeed – of the COP21 summit in Paris at the end of 2015, and compare it with that of traditional media. We show that while the general spectrum of themes is similar across media outlets, there are differences in the volume of the coverage and in the emphasis that is laid on different themes by some, but not all, of the new players compared to traditional media.
48 citations
TL;DR: People differ. Not only do they vote for different parties, buy different products, have different hobbies and use different media, but they also differ in their interest in, attitudes on, and behavior as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: People differ. Not only do they vote for different parties, buy different products, have different hobbies and use different media. They also differ in their interest in, attitudes on, and behavior...
46 citations
TL;DR: It is shown that projects presented on science-only crowdfunding platforms have a higher success rate and are more likely to be successful if their presentation includes visualizations and humor, and the lower their targeted funding is, the less personal data potential donors have to relinquish and the more interaction between researchers and donors is possible.
Abstract: Crowdfunding has emerged as an additional source for financing research in recent years. The study at hand identifies and tests explanatory factors influencing the success of scientific crowdfunding projects by drawing on news value theory, the “reputation signaling” approach, and economic theories of online payment. A standardized content analysis of 371 projects on English- and German-language platforms reveals that each theory provides factors influencing crowdfunding success. It shows that projects presented on science-only crowdfunding platforms have a higher success rate. At the same time, projects are more likely to be successful if their presentation includes visualizations and humor, the lower their targeted funding is, the less personal data potential donors have to relinquish and the more interaction between researchers and donors is possible. This suggests that after donors decide to visit a scientific crowdfunding platform, factors unrelated to science matter more for subsequent funding decis...
29 citations
10 Sep 2018
TL;DR: In this paper, a co-citation analysis of scholarly publications published between 1996 and 2015 was carried out to assess to what extent a coherent communication network exists within science communication research, and the results showed a field with a diverse internal structure and clear internal changes over time which suggest an increasing emancipation of the field.
Abstract: Since the early 1990s, there has been a considerable increase in the number of scientific studies on science communication, and this increase has been accompanied by a diversification of the research field. This study focuses on one aspect of this development: it analyses how citation network structures within the field have developed over time, and whether science communication research shows signs of becoming a research field or a discipline in its own right. Employing a co-citation analysis of scholarly publications published between 1996 and 2015, it assesses to what extent a coherent communication network exists within science communication research. The results show a field with a diverse internal structure and clear internal changes over time which suggest an increasing emancipation of the field.
29 citations
TL;DR: This paper identifies national audience segments that differ in their science-related information repertoires, and analyzes their sociodemographic characteristics and science- related attitudes in Switzerland and Germany.
Abstract: Citizens’ attitudes toward science are related to their use of science-related information from various sources. Evidence is scarce regarding citizens’ individual media repertoires for staying info...
14 citations
TL;DR: It is demonstrated how a large number of variables that were used for a comprehensive segmentation analysis can be reduced considerably without losing too much information, helping researchers save survey time and standardize segmentation analyses more.
Abstract: Surveys play a key role in researching public perceptions of and attitudes toward science. Accordingly, there is a breadth of often-used survey instruments available which have also been adopted for segmentation analyses. Even though many of these segmentation solutions are similar in their aims, they often include a large numbers of variables, making it more difficult for other researchers to build on these solutions, as survey time is scarce. Therefore, we demonstrate how a large number of variables that were used for a comprehensive segmentation analysis can be reduced considerably without losing too much information. We develop and test a short survey instrument to segment populations according to their attitudes toward science. Results show that segmentation results can be replicated with over 90% accuracy by reducing the instrument from 20 to 10 variables. This reduction does not significantly affect the predictive power of segment attribution on three dependent variables, which suggests that many segmentation analyses could be similarly optimized, helping researchers save survey time and standardize segmentation analyses more.
12 citations
TL;DR: In this article, anhand der medienoffentlichen debattens in 15 landern uber die Klimapolitik, e.g., in Qualitatstages and Medienunterschiede, ist the Berichterstattung starker transnationalisiert als in Boulevard-and Regionalmedien.
Abstract: Die kommunikationswissenschaftliche Offentlichkeitsforschung hat sich in den vergangenen Jahren verstarkt mit transnationalisierten Formen von Offentlichkeit beschaftigt. Allerdings gehen nur wenige empirische Arbeiten uber die (mogliche) Entstehung einer europaischen Offentlichkeit hinaus. Daher analysieren wir anhand der medienoffentlichen Debatten in 15 Landern uber die Klimapolitik – ein Thema, das oft als moglicher Kristallisationspunkt fur die Entstehung transnationaler oder gar „globaler“ Offentlichkeiten dargestellt wird – inwieweit die Akteursensembles in der Berichterstattung von Qualitatstageszeitungen, Regional- und Boulevardzeitungen transnationalisiert sind und welche Reichweite eine etwaige Transnationalisierung aufweist. Die Analyse zeigt eine betrachtliche Transnationalisierung, die teils uber eine Europaisierung hinausgeht. Allerdings ist die Berichterstattung je nach Untersuchungsdimension unterschiedlich transnationalisiert: Transnationalisierte Bezuge zeigen sich eher in „schwacher“ als in „starker“ Form: Auslandische oder supranationale Akteure werden haufiger in der Berichterstattung erwahnt, als dass sie selbst zu Wort kommen. Zudem ist die horizontale Transnationalisierung starker ausgepragt als die vertikale: Bezuge auf Akteure aus anderen Landern finden sich haufiger als Bezuge auf supranationale politische Organisationen. Die Analyse zeigt zudem Lander- und Medienunterschiede, die grosso modo die Befunde der Forschung zu Klimawandel-Kommunikation und europaischer Offentlichkeit bestatigen: In wirtschaftlich von Klimaschutzmasnahmen betroffenen Landern ist die Berichterstattung starker national gepragt. In Qualitatstageszeitungen ist die Berichterstattung starker transnationalisiert als in Boulevard- und Regionalmedien.
8 citations
02 Oct 2018
TL;DR: Aufgaben in den Kommunikationsabteilungen von Hochschulen haben sich in den vergangenen Jahren stark verandert und ausgeweitet.
Abstract: Die Aufgaben in den Kommunikationsabteilungen von Hochschulen haben sich in den vergangenen Jahren stark verandert und ausgeweitet. Vor 15 Jahren ging es vor allem um die Presse- und Medienarbeit – um Pressemeldungen, Pressekonferenzen und die Pflege personlicher Kontakte zu JournalistInnen, nicht selten von Lokalmedien. Seitdem sind etliche Aufgaben hinzugekommen: Es mussen die Auftritte der Hochschule auf vielfaltigen Kanalen von eigenen Magazinen uber Websites bis hin zu Social Media aufgesetzt, koordiniert und betreut werden.
7 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyze the nexus between climate change and soft power with specific emphasis on China and argue that the current political situation represents a "window of opportunity" for China to expand its soft power substantially both in degree and scope.
Abstract: In China today, the idea of “soft power” has become important in various realms of society. We analyze the nexus between climate change and soft power with specific emphasis on China. First, we will discuss the concept of soft power, its role in the Chinese context, and the reasons why China has had difficulties to gain soft power up to now. Second, we lay out how international climate change politics are an important arena in which soft power can be won and how the issue has gained importance in China. In a third step, we discuss how the current political environment, in which the US government has changed its stance on climate change and international climate politics, impacts China. Our thesis is that the current political situation represents a “window of opportunity” for China to expand its soft power substantially both in degree and scope. In line with this thesis, so far, China has reacted swiftly after the election of US president Donald Trump and aims to present itself as the future climate leader.
TL;DR: Hilgartner’s theoretical framework has potential to be applied to a range of topics of burning contemporary relevance, both in the public communication of science and the study of the culture and organization of knowledge production—with big data and open access being only two cases in point.
Abstract: The book is exceptionally well written and readable also for those with no specific prior insights into genomics and genomic technology. Throughout the text, Hilgartner skillfully uses interview quotations and ethnographic vignettes to provide a lively reading experience. The book is of interest to different audiences. Those not yet familiar with the HGP will receive a highly knowledgeable introduction. Specialist audiences will meet both a sophisticated new theoretical approach and some unique gems of ethnographic data. But for those with a specialist focus, there will be questions about the HGP the book cannot (and does also not aspire to) fully answer—for example, regarding the complex dynamics of intellectual property rights or a critical analysis of the hopeand-hype dynamics accompanying the project. It is the concept of knowledge control regimes that renders the book relevant to even broader academic audiences. Hilgartner’s theoretical framework has potential to be applied to a range of topics of burning contemporary relevance, both in the public communication of science and the study of the culture and organization of knowledge production—with big data and open access being only two cases in point. My humble guess is that most academic readers interested in the dynamics of knowledge in contemporary societies will put this book aside with a new inspiration for their own work.