Constructing publics in museums' science communication

Area of Science:

• Science Communication
• Museum Studies
• Sociology of Science

Background:

• Natural history museums play a crucial role in public science engagement.
• Understanding how scientists perceive and construct their audiences is vital for effective outreach.
• Existing frameworks for audience categorization may not fully capture the nuances of museum-based science communication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how research scientists in natural history museums construct different publics for their science communication activities.
• To identify and categorize the types of publics that scientists engage with during public outreach.
• To understand the underlying reasons and strategies scientists employ when defining these publics.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving 17 research scientists from two natural history research museums in Norway.
• Semi-structured interviews focusing on public outreach practices, settings, intended outcomes, and scientists' motivations.
• Analysis of scientists' perceptions of speaking positions and audience roles in science communication.

Main Results:

• Four primary constructions of publics were identified: the general public, the pure public, the affected public, and the partisan public.
• Scientists emphasize 'relevance' as a key quality assurance mechanism when constructing different publics.
• The study highlights the strategic choices scientists make in defining their audiences based on outreach goals and contexts.

Conclusions:

• Scientists actively construct and categorize their audiences in science communication, rather than viewing them as a monolithic entity.
• The concept of 'relevance' is central to scientists' strategies for engaging diverse publics effectively.
• Findings offer insights into tailoring science communication practices within natural history museums to better meet the needs and expectations of various audience segments.