A global study in science communication reveals the drivers behind the most communicative scientists and higher activity in less developed regions
Marta Entradas, researcher at DINÂMIA'CET-IUL, and Martin Bauer are the authors of a study published in Nature Astronomy Journal. The study reveals determining factors in the communication of scientists with the public. This first worldwide study as reached almost 2600 astronomers from the IAU (International Astronomers Union) reaching astronomers from various regions of the world.
Marta Entradas, lead author of the study, states:
What surprised me most about this study was the high activity of public communication found among scientists working in less developed regions such as Africa and South America, which exceed the activity of those working in Europe and in the US.” And this is because what "drives this community is a high intrinsic motivation, while rewards and prizes do not matter. The study tells us that science communication may vary in more complex ways around the world than we expected, and calls the attention for future research to focus on specific scientific communities and the ecology of the scientific work.
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+ sources
1. Article Nature News:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07519-2
2. Press release IAU (International Astronomical Union)
https://www.iau.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iau1813/
3. Press release LSE (London School of Economics)
http://www.lse.ac.uk/News/Research-Highlights/Society-media-and-science/Star-performers