EN

And then a miracle occurs—a review of theory of change models for societal impact of research

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Authors : Ole Henning Sørensen, Stine Dandanell Garn, Steffen Bohni Nielsen

Through an umbrella review, this article identified and surveyed 24 societal impact of research (SIR) models. Most of these models were developed within health domains and in Anglo-Saxon countries. The authors mapped the SIR models against constituent components of a robust theory of change.

The study found that logic models were predominantly used to conceive SIR models. Yet, only nine models had explicit causal links, and only two made explicit assumptions about why research contributes to societal change.

The old proverb among evaluators—when using theories of change to describe change—“and then a miracle occurs…,” rings uncomfortably true to the current state of SIR theorizing. Further theorizing and conceptual clarity are needed to advance the science of research impact.

URL : And then a miracle occurs—a review of theory of change models for societal impact of research

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1093/reseval/rvaf057

 

EN

Towards a terroir approach to science communication and its evidencing

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Authors : Marianne Achiam, Martin Grünfeld, Sabrina Vitting-Seerup,
Jacob Thorek Jensen, Louise Whiteley

This essay proposes terroir as a metaphor for rethinking science communication. In contrast to dominant calls for a science of science communication, grounded in broadly replicable and generalisable methods, we suggest that communication practices are fundamentally shaped by the particularities of place, people, histories, and more-than-human relations.

Drawing on the agricultural origins of terroir, we argue that good science communication is not about imposing control but about cultivating resonance within specific ecosystems of meaning. This perspective also invites us to recognise the value of intuitive knowledge, local practice, and arts-based methods, which are often excluded from dominant frameworks.

As part of the research programme Addressing Sustainability with Arts-Based Science Communication, we explore co-creative, arts-based approaches that surface emotional, sensory, and contextual dimensions of sustainability science communication.

Ultimately, we call for a shift: from the search for universal best practices to the careful, situated crafting of an arts of science communication.

URL : Towards a terroir approach to science communication and its evidencing

DOI : https://doi.org/10.22323/161120251104104659

EN

The Drain of Scientific Publishing

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Authors : Fernanda Beigel, Dan Brockington, Paolo Crosetto, Gemma Derrick, Aileen Fyfe, Pablo Gomez Barreiro, Mark A. Hanson, Stefanie Haustein, Vincent Larivière, Christine Noe, Stephen Pinfield, James Wilsdon

The domination of scientific publishing in the Global North by major commercial publishers is harmful to science.

We need the most powerful members of the research community, funders, governments and Universities, to lead the drive to re-communalise publishing to serve science not the market.

DOI : https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2511.04820

EN

The Modal Mode of Thinking about Scholarly Publishing

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Author : Jefferson Pooley

The essay argues that the study of scholarly communication would benefit from attending to a “modal” sensibility—that is, a self-conscious sensitivity to the differences that different mediums make in understanding published works of scholarship.

The essay critiques the unreflective textualism that dominates the conversation on publishing. The claim is that the primacy of text, as the sovereign medium of academic communication, is a largely invisible parochialism.

The essay points to examples and traditions of multi-modal publishing as an entry point to taking the medium-specificity of publishing formats as an object of analysis. Such experimentation has followed, sometimes closely, the emergence of new mediums of storage and transmission within the societies that scholars work.

The mid-twentieth century birth of the modern medium concept made multi-modality a conceivable, self-conscious project. Even so, the discourse on academic publishing has rarely registered the implications, including for inherited text-based formats.

The essay concludes with a call for media scholars, curiously underrepresented in the discourse, to take up this task, with reference to pioneering works in the field.

URL : The Modal Mode of Thinking about Scholarly Publishing

DOI : https://doi.org/10.3998/jep.8757

FR

The Journal of Electronic Publishing, 30 ans dans la vie des communautés académiques

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Autrice/Author : Chérifa Boukacem-Zeghmouri

L’anniversaire d’une revue savante est toujours un moment important. Avant tout, pour son comité éditorial, et aussi pour la communauté scientifique et professionnelle qui se réunit autour du titre et qui se nourrit de ses contenus. C’est un point d’étape qui permet de faire un pas de côté afin d’appréhender ce qui a été réalisé, ce qui est en cours de conception et ce qui reste toujours à accomplir.

URL : The Journal of Electronic Publishing, 30 ans dans la vie des communautés académiques

DOI : https://doi.org/10.3998/jep.8311

EN

Regaining Scientific Authority in a Post-Truth Landscape

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Authors : Andrew M. Petzold, Marcia D. Nichols

Recent decades have seen a rise of anti-science rhetoric, fueled by scientific scandals and failures of peer review, and the rise of trainable generative AI spreading misinformation. We argue, moreover, that the continued erosion of scientific authority also arises from inherent features in science and academia, including a reliance on publication as a method for gaining professional credibility and success.

Addressing this multifaceted challenge necessitates a concerted effort across several key areas: strengthening scientific messaging, combating misinformation, rebuilding trust in scientific authority, and fundamentally rethinking academic professional norms.

Taking these steps will require widespread effort, but if we want to rebuild trust with the public, we must make significant and structural changes to the production and dissemination of science.

URL : Regaining Scientific Authority in a Post-Truth Landscape

DOI : https://doi.org/10.3390/publications13040065

FR

Communiquer la science : pratiques et discours de créateur·rice·s de contenus sur la plateforme TikTok

Posted on by Hans Dillaerts

Autrice/Author : Sarah Rakotoary

Cet article examine les dynamiques de la vulgarisation scientifique sur des plateformes numériques, en se concentrant sur TikTok. Il explore la transition de la médiation scientifique classique vers une médiatisation adaptée aux logiques des réseaux socionumériques, où les créateur·rice·s de contenu jouent un rôle clé.

L’analyse de l’écriture scientifique « plateformisée » révèle comment ces acteur·rice·s construisent et affirment leur identité numérique tout en naviguant entre les exigences des algorithmes et les attentes du public. En s’appuyant sur des exemples de remédiation de pratiques et de stratégies identitaires, l’article met en lumière les formes renégociées, multi-formats et engageants de la diffusion des savoirs scientifiques

URL : https://lesenjeux.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/2025/dossier/09-communiquer-la-science-pratiques-et-discours-de-createurrices-de-contenus-sur-la-plateforme-tiktok/