Historically, the public communication of science was controlled mainly by individuals located within universities and similar research institutions [Schäfer & Fähnrich, 2020], with the result that science was perceived as exclusive, elitist and inaccessible. Today, we increasingly value broad societal access to knowledge about new scientific advances. Recent developments have paved the way to a renewed vision that understands science communication as a broader phenomenon. Several global and regional health crises have highlighted the importance of constructive dialogue between science and society, as well as the challenges associated with public apathy or ignorance towards science and related challenges such as anti-science sentiments, distrust, and misinformation about science. society [Ruão & Silva, 2021].
Science communication scholars and practitioners are working towards increasing the efficacy and impact of efforts to advance public engagement with science and looking for novel ways to promote people’s interest in the production, sharing and application of scientific knowledge [Jensen & Gerber, 2020; Stocklmayer & Rennie, 2017]. These science communication efforts are increasingly focused on ‘the general public’ (i.e. audiences who are not experts in science) but who are affected by the results of scientific activity [Bucchi, 2013], and with increasing calls to focus on world regions where public access to science remains constrained [Okoye et al.,2021].
It is important to consider informal (or non-formal) approaches to effectively engage audiences outside the science domain, leading to a growing interest in the concept of ‘informal science communication’ [Rowan, 2012]. Recent studies suggested a positive association between communication in informal spaces and a greater engagement and understanding of scientific concepts [Geiger et al., 2017; Hobs, 2015] and highlighted that people tend to be emotionally available to learn about science when the context of interaction is comfortable and stimulating [Rowan, 2012]. As such, informal contexts are more conducive to public participation in science and may help facilitate broader public participation. Informal contexts for science communication may include places such as libraries and museums, but these engagements can also spread to unexpected locations such as restaurants, bars, shopping centres, airports, cinemas, zoos and botanical gardens or take place in virtual spaces via social media platforms and online games [Bell et al., 2009; McCallie et al., 2009].
In this special issue, we want to delve into the potential and efficacy of public engagement of science in these unexpected places and (possibly) involving unexpected role players and novel approaches. Possible contributions to this special issue may include research articles, essays, or practice insights related to the following thematic areas:
– Advances and directions of science communication in informal contexts
– Technological environments and “new” informal contexts to communicate science
– Creative science communication strategies
– Public perceptions of and responses to encountering science in public spaces
– Experiences and motivations of researchers’ participation in novel science communication contexts
