Checking date: 16/07/2023


Course: 2024/2025

Scientific Communication
(19010)
Bachelor in Science, Technology and Humanities (Plan: 470 - Estudio: 374)


Coordinating teacher: ELIAS PEREZ, CARLOS JOSE

Department assigned to the subject: Communication and Media Studies Department

Type: Compulsory
ECTS Credits: 6.0 ECTS

Course:
Semester:




Requirements (Subjects that are assumed to be known)
This subject is integrated in the Jean Monnet European Chair "EU, Disinformation and Fake News". It is recommended that students have knowledge of the subject Language and Discourse.
Objectives
One of the major problems of modern society is that scientific and technological production is increasing exponentially and, nonetheless, people are more and more removed from knowledge of these advances because we do not have the ability to take them in with the speed with which they occur. One way to reduce this difference is to publish this information in the media. That is precisely why the aim of this course is to provide students with the basic tools necessary to handle scientific and technological news. The programme not only includes aspects of journalistic writing, but it also aims to place the subject within a context of science, technology and society. A relevant part of the course will address the relationship between science, technology, media and public opinion. The aim is for the student to understand that behind social changes there is always a technological and scientific change.
Skills and learning outcomes
Link to document

Description of contents: programme
Topic I: Science as an object of communication Topic II: Science and the public sphere. Topic III: Sources in science communication Topic IV: Scientific journals and their media effect. Topic V: Snow's "two cultures" and their effect on science communication. Topic VI: Science in the mainstream media culture. Topic VII: Media genres applied to public communication of science and technology. Topic VIII: Science and journalism as tools against fake news. Topic IX: Science and technology communication as a profession. Topic X: Scientific communication as an object of research
Learning activities and methodology
Students must write scientific news using all the journalistic genres: report, interview, chronicle, bibliographic summary, news, etc. There will also be comparative analysis of the science sections of different newspapers. SEMINAR: The students must follow seminars on scientific topics which tend to be newsworthy and which generally correspond to the book "Science through Journalism", mentioned in the bibliography. These transversal topics that might be included, among others: - Space and the Solar System. Concepts. The International Space Station and the missions to Mars. - The Earth: its formation and the tectonic plates. Volcanism and earthquakes - Life: concepts on the appearance of life on Earth, embryonic stem cells. Cloning. - Ecology and environment. The greenhouse effect, disappearance of the ozone layer and climate change. - Diet: Food crises. "Mad Cow" Disease, information about rapeseed oil, etc. - Matter and energy: Nuclear fusion and fission. The ITER project. Oil: information about oil spills. - Scientific policy. National R+D plans, Spanish research in the CSIC and universities. Brief introduction to the history of Spanish science. - Pandemis and health crises.
Assessment System
  • % end-of-term-examination 50
  • % of continuous assessment (assigments, laboratory, practicals...) 50




Extraordinary call: regulations
Basic Bibliography
  • BAUER, MARTIN Y BUCCHI, MASSIMIANO (eds). Journalism, Science and Society. Routledge. 1997
  • BUCCHI, MASSIMIANO Y BRIAN TRENCH (eds.).. Handbook of Science Communication. Routledge. London & New York.. 2008
  • ELÍAS, CARLOS. Science on the Ropes. Decline of Scientific Culture in the era of Fak News. Springer-Nature. 2019
  • GREGORY, JANE y MILLER, STEVE. Science in public. Communication, Culture and credibility. Basic Book. London. 1998
  • WEINGART, PETER and HUPPAUF, BERND. Science Images and Popular Images of the Sciences. Routledge. 2007
Recursos electrónicosElectronic Resources *
Additional Bibliography
  • BUCCHI, MASSIMIANO.. Beyond Technocracy. Citizens, Politics, Technoscience, . Springer, New York . 2009
  • JASSANOFF, SHEILA. . The fifth Branch: Science advisers as policy makers. . Harvard University Press. 1990
  • KALANTZIS-COPE, PHILLIPS Y GHERAB-MARTIN, KARIM. Emerging digital spaces in contemporary society. Properties of technology. Pagrave macmillan. New York. 2011
(*) Access to some electronic resources may be restricted to members of the university community and require validation through Campus Global. If you try to connect from outside of the University you will need to set up a VPN


The course syllabus may change due academic events or other reasons.


More information: https://www.uc3m.es/research/research-chairs/jean-monnet-chair-eu-disinformation-fake-news