Introductory Readings

Introductory readings for those studying science communication

No list of books and readings in science communication is complete. But here is an initial set of suggestions for people interested in the field.

Introduction to the field

  • Bucchi, Massimiano, & Trench, Brian (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of Public Communication of Science and Technology (2nd ed.). London/New York: Routledge.


Conceptual overviews and classic readings

  • Broks, Peter. (1996). Media science before the Great War. New York: St. Martin’s Press. [A good historical overview, focused on the United Kingdom]
  • Gregory, J., & Miller, S. (1998). Science in Public: Communication, Culture, and Credibility. New York: Plenum. [A classic introduction to the field, a bit dated but still very useful]
  • Holliman, R., Thomas, J., Smidt, S., Scanlon, E., & Whitelegg, E. (Eds.). (2009). Practising Science Communication in the Information Age. New York: Oxford. [Prepared for a science communication course in the UK’s Open University]
  • Holliman, R., Whitelegg, E., Scanlon, E., Smidt, S., & Thomas, J. (Eds.). (2009). Investigating Science Communication in the Information Age: Implications for Public Engagement and Popular Media. New York: Oxford. [Prepared for a science communication course in the UK’s Open University]
  • Nelkin, D. (1995). Selling Science: How the Press Covers Science and Technology (rev. ed.). New York: W. H. Freeman. [A classic examination of science journalism, though now dated somewhat]
  • Nisbet, Matthew C., & Scheufele, Dietram. (2009). What’s next for science communication? Promising directions and lingering distractions. American Journal of Botany, 96(10), 1-12. [a nice summary of where the field was in the late 2000s]
  • House of Lords. 2000. Science and Society. London: UK House of Lords. (Available at http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199900/ldselect/ldsctech/38/3801.htm. See also government response at http://www.dti.gov.uk/scienceind/report3response.htm.) [A key text in the shift of focus from “the deficit model” to the “engagement model”]


Science museums

  • Chittenden, Dave, Graham Farmelo, and Bruce Lewenstein, eds. 2004. Creating Connections: Museums and the Public Understanding of Current Research. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press
  • Falk, John H. and Lynn D. Dierking. 2000. Learning from Museums: Visitor Experiences and the Making of Meaning. American Association for State and Local History Book Series. Lanham, MD: Altamira Press.
  • Farmelo, Graham, and Janet Carding. 1997. Here and now: Contemporary science and technology in musuems and science centres. London: Science Museum.


Informal learning

  • Falk, John H. and Lynn D. Dierking. 2002. Lessons without limit : how free-choice learning is transforming education. Walnut Creek, CA ; Oxford: AltaMira Press.
  • Bell, P., Lewenstein, B. V., Shouse, A., & Feder, M. (Eds.). (2009). Learning Science in Informal Environments: People, Places, and Pursuits.Washington, DC: National Academies Press.


Public knowledge of and attitudes toward science

Every two years, the U.S. National Science Board includes a chapter on this topic in its “Science and Engineering Indicators” series.  These chapters often include comparative information about other countries as well.  The most recent edition is:

  • National Science Board. 2014. Science and Technology: Public Attitudes and Understanding. In Science & Engineering Indicators–2014.Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. (Ch. 7).


The science of science communication

In recent years, several researchers have tried to bring together much of the research on science communication. This research was presented at U.S. National Academy of Sciences colloquia in 2012 and 2013. Papers from the 2012 symposium were published in:

  • Fischhoff, Baruch, & Scheufele, Dietram A. (Eds.). (2013). The Science of Science Communication (Papers reprinted from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, vol. 110, suppl. 3, pp. 13696 and 14031-14110). Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences. [link]

Papers from the 2013 symposium were also published in PNAS, vol. 11., suppl. 4, pp. 13583-13671 [link]

Videos of the presentations can be found through the colloquia websites:

  • Cicerone, Ralph J., Fischhoff, Baruch, Leshner, Alan, Schaal, Barbara, & Scheufele, Dietram. (2012). The Science of Science Communication — A Sackler Colloquium. [link]
  • Cicerone, Ralph J., Fischhoff, Baruch, Leshner, Alan, Schaal, Barbara, & Scheufele, Dietram. (2013). The Science of Science Communication II — A Sackler Colloquium. [link]