El. knyga: Handbook of Public Communication of Science and Technology

Seventeen papers presented by Bucchi (sociology of science, U. of Trento, Italy) and Trench (communications, Dublin City U., Ireland) provide a survey of the current state of the field of science and technology communication. The papers discuss popular science books, science journalism, science museums and science centers, cinematic science, theories of public communication of science, health campaign research, the politics and ethics of metaphorical framing in genetics and genomics, survey research and the public understanding of science, scientists as public experts, public relations in science, environmental groups and other nongovernmental organizations as communicators of science, public participation and dialogue, science communication and the Internet, risk and public science communication, public communication of science and technology in developing countries, communicating the social sciences, and evaluating public communication of science and technology. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Comprehensive yet accessible, this key Handbook provides an up-to-date overview of the fast growing and increasingly important area of ‘public communication of science and technology', from both research and practical perspectives. As well as introducing the main issues, arenas and professional perspectives involved, it presents the findings of earlier research and the conclusions previously drawn. Unlike most existing books on this topic, this unique volume couples an overview of the practical problems faced by practitioners with a thorough review of relevant literature and research.

The practical Handbook format ensures it is a student-friendly resource, but its breadth of scope and impressive contributors means that it is also ideal for practitioners and professionals working in the field. Combining the contributions of different disciplines (media and journalism studies, sociology and history of science), the perspectives of different geographical and cultural contexts, and by selecting key contributions from appropriate and well-respected authors, this original text provides an interdisciplinary as well as a global approach to public communication of science and technology.