What's in a Name? Exploring the Nomenclature of Science Communication in the UK

Abstract

This study, via a consideration of the literature, and a limited survey of active science communicators, presents concise and workable definitions for science outreach, public engagement, widening participation, and knowledge exchange, in a UK context. Sixty-six per cent of participants agreed that their definitions of outreach, public engagement, and widening participation aligned with those of their colleagues, whilst 64% felt that their personal definitions matched those of their institute. However, closer inspection of the open-ended questions found the respondents often differed in the use of the nomenclature. In particular, the respondents found it difficult to define knowledge exchange in this context. It is hoped that this initial study will form the foundation of future work in this area, and that it will help to further develop the debate regarding the need for a consistent nomenclature across science communication.

Keywords: Knowledge Exchange; Outreach; Public Engagement; Science Communication; Widening Participation.

Figure 1.. Stacked columns showing how participant’s personal definitions differed from those of their colleagues and institutes/companies.

Figure 2.. Major categories for ‘definitions of outreach’ and frequencies; listed in alphabetical order and colour coded according to frequency.

Figure 3.. Major categories for ‘definitions of public engagement’ and frequencies; listed in alphabetical order and colour coded according to frequency.

Figure 4.. Major categories for ‘definitions of widening participation’ and frequencies; listed in alphabetical order and colour coded according to frequency.

Figure 5.. Major categories for ‘how knowledge exchange is related to outreach, public engagement and widening participation?’ and frequencies; listed in alphabetical order and colour coded according to frequency.