Reasons and Problems When Research Results are Announced : Graduate Students’Opinions.

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Other Title
  • 研究成果を記者発表する理由と課題 : 大学院生の視点から
  • ケンキュウ セイカ オ キシャ ハッピョウ スル リユウ ト カダイ : ダイガクインセイ ノ シテン カラ

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Abstract

When scientific research results are published and announced for society, the information is disseminated through a form of a press release mostly in the order of researchers to public relations staff to journalists to society. In this study, first-year graduate students delve into the role of researchers, public relations staff and journalists, who are all regarded as professionals involved with the information dissemination, and examine issues and countermeasures from the viewpoint of the students. There are two reasons for putting out press releases that serves as a means to deliver research results to citizens. One is accountability to society since scientific research activities are conducted based on public funding, which stems from taxpayers’money. The second is information sharing with society so that decision-making processes in the so called transknowledge areas, which include issues requiring input from both experts and citizens, can take place by involving informed citizens. Six problems concerning press releases are discussed here. They are wrong understanding of research results, their overemphasis, attention by society to areas other than the research results, discrepancies in their standpoint between researchers and their affiliation, revelation of research misconduct or ethically wrong research conduct, and difference between citizens, journalists and scientists in their attitude toward research outcome. Countermeasures to deal with these problems can be roughly divided into two, which are respective recognition of one’s profession and research ethics education, as well as formation of a feedback channel for such information. After recognizing the differences in the role of three professions involved with a press release, it is important to design a system based on a premise that discrepancies between the norms and realities exist. What is important in designing the system is to anticipate and allow differences in recognition so that a foundation is created to enable specialists to act as a mediator.

Journal

  • 科学技術コミュニケーション

    科学技術コミュニケーション 18 145-154, 2015-12

    北海道大学高等教育推進機構　高等教育研究部　科学技術コミュニケーション教育研究部門（CoSTEP）

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