Strategic Importance of Communicating (in) Science

Strategic Importance of Communicating (in) Science

prof. dr. Žiga Turk, Univ. of Ljubljana, Slovenia

@ SciCom 2008, Vienna, November 2008

dr. Žiga Turk, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract

Innovation and creativity, science and technology are believed to be the key competitive advantages of nations in a globlized world and a key strategic asset of nations, states and individuals.

The author believes that it was the innovation in communication that was instrumental for the flourishing of Europe in the past 500 years. The start of the dominance of Europe in science, technology and later in economy and politics coincides with a breakthrough in communication - with the invention of paper and print.

Today were are witnessing another communication revolution - related to the internet and the Web. It offers immense opportunities for scientific communication, for communicating about science, as well as dangers and challenges.

To some extent this is reflected in in the key European strategic document - the Lisbon strategy but more is required in order to capitalize on the potential of human resources in Europe.

A.D. 500, Istanbul: A.D. 500, Istanbul: Hagia Sophia, 31mHagia Sophia, 31m

31m

A.D., Istanbul: A.D., Istanbul: Süleymaniye, 26mSüleymaniye, 26m

26m

A.D. 1600, Rome:A.D. 1600, Rome:St. Peters, 42 m St. Peters, 42 m

42m

parchment parchment available to few, available to few, then …then …

cheap paper (guns, cheap paper (guns, gunpowder, gunpowder, spagettii, ice spagettii, ice cream, ipods) from cream, ipods) from ChinaChina

paper available for paper available for anything …anything …

… … even for even for engineering engineering drawings …drawings …

… … and scientific and scientific communicationcommunication

Paper enables the Paper enables the renaissance …renaissance …

… … and provides and provides a basis for a basis for scientific, scientific, technological, technological, military, military, political, political, economic … economic … dominance of dominance of the Westthe West

But the storyBut the storycontinues …continues …electronicelectroniccommunicationcommunication!!

… … at first available at first available for some special for some special needs.needs.

well … not perhaps well … not perhaps not quite so specialnot quite so special

until the second until the second communication communication revolutionrevolution


Internet je najprej enosmeren …

… … becomesbecomestwo waytwo way

anyone can anyone can communicate …communicate …

about anything ;-)about anything ;-)


Media for communication through history

Harold Innis time binding media space binding media

Ž.T. oral communication paper based communication

exclusive democratic

electronic communication exclusive democratic


Democratisation of creativity …

year500 1000 1500 2000

num

ber

of

creati

ve p

eople

communication revolution 1.0




0


… leads to a longer tail

Aristo

tle, P

lato

, Th

e B

ible

…

Sh

ake

speare

, Goeth

e,

Dicke

ns …

Scie

nce

, N

atu

re

You

Tu

be, Flickr,

MyScp

ace

, Blo

gg

er

no-one is published everyone is published

Impact on politics

oral …oral …

democratic paperdemocratic paper

exclusive exclusive electronicelectronic

Democratic Democratic electronicelectronic

Paralles with communicating science

closed circles of closed circles of scientistsscientists

paper based collaboration; books, paper based collaboration; books, journalsjournals

discovery channel, discovery channel, national national geographic,geographic,CSI,CSI,dr. Housedr. House……

open access open access journalsjournalswikipediawikipediabut also blogs:but also blogs:real climate,real climate,greenie watchgreenie watchPlanet GorePlanet Gore

Impact on scientific communication


Paper based model

scientists do the research, write the paper

review the paper, edit the journal publisher gets the copyright, prints a

journal scientists subscribe to it

because paper is precious because reader's time is precious

closed model of publishing


Questions: Costs related to scientific publishing

by buying scientific publications one does not pay for the

innovation described in the work

cover the cost of innovation

this is a crucial difference to all other forms of publishing

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

Life-cycle phase

Research

Drafting

Review

Publication

Retrieval

(Bjork, 2002)

IPR questionsanaliza


Alternative - open access

Process reengineering of scientific publishing

It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than the creation of a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institutions and merely lukewarm defenders in those who would gain by the new one. - Nicolo Machiavelli


Maciavellian analysis of open publishing

enmity lukewarm support

“impact factor”

publishers defend monopoly new small innovative

publishers like biomed

high

libraries handling paper reason for their

existence

some very supportive

low

scientists and researchers

seniors with CVs full of paper based

references

the internet generation

low, unless organized

r&d institutions save money? promote institution

medium

learned societies some endorsing/editing

paper based journals

they have nothing to loose

potentially very high

funding agencies they love “objective” SCI and

related journals

don’t care much about efficiency

very high

general public, taxpayer

has no access anyway

is not aware very low because not aware

Turk, 2004


Open Access … is a bridge

between publishing in science and about science

is a transition towards other types of scientific communication blog wiki …

But it is not all that rosy

I can use a laptop,I can use a laptop,and Internet …and Internet …I can publish too …I can publish too …

… … about science!about science!


Henri Broch, physics professor

director of the Center for the Study of Paranormal Phenomena at the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis, France.

"In France, paranormal beliefs are thriving and the situation is becoming alarming,"

One source of Broch's alarm was the discovery that seven out of 10 students accepted mind-induced spoon bending as scientific fact …


Simon Blackburn:Truth, A Guide for the Perplexed

Relativism chips away the right to dissaprove of what anybody says. Its central message is that there are no asymmetries of reason and knowledge, objectivity and truth ...

We must not believe that anything goes ... that there is not truth to prevail.

Without defenses against postmodern irony and cynicism, multiculturalism and relativism, we will all go to hell in a handbasket.

"You have to take "You have to take the road"the road"

Political messages


Lisbon strategy:The top level strategy

the European strategy for tackling globalization, for growth and jobs

timeline 1.0 Original Lisbon Strategy

y2000 2.0 Renewed Lisbon

Strategy 2005 2.1 Updated Lisbon Strategy

2008 making Europe more dynamic,

creative, entrepreneurial, market economy that cares for people and nature.

spring European Council March 2008.


Lisbon Strategy onCreativity

"A key factor for future growth is the full development of the potential for innovation and creativity of European citizens built on European culture and excellence in science.

"At the same time further efforts must be made, including in the private sector, with a view to investing more, and more effectively, in research, creativity, innovation and higher education

"Providing high-quality education and investing more and more effectively in human capital and creativity throughout people's lives are crucial conditions for Europe's success in a globalised world.


Lisbon Strategy onOpen innovation

In order to become a truly modern andcompetitive economy, and building on the work carried out on the future of science and technology and on the modernisation of universities, Member States and the EU must remove barriers to the free movement of knowledge by creating a "fifth freedom" based on: … facilitating and promoting the optimal use of

intellectual property created in public research organisations so as to increase knowledge transfer to industry …

encouraging open access to knowledge and open innovation

…


Conclusions

communication revolutions are broadening the creative and intellectual base destroying old monopolies

they must be harnessed by all, not just by the new entrants to the market think YouTube vs. BBC think blogs on pseudo science vs. Science &

Nature open access publishing is a bridge to other

types of scientific communication and communicating about science