Definitions

Terms applied to public science activity

Thank you for your response to our discussion on those terms that are used more commonly to describe the fields of interactions between science and the public.  We were pleased to find general agreement.

The following terms have now been adopted within the context of our work in Science Literacy.   We will, of course, be pleased to continue to receive comments and suggestions for updating. Please post your suggestions using this form.

Citizen Science (CS)

Citizen Science is now usually defined as scientific work undertaken by members of the general public, often in collaboration with or under the direction of professional scientists and scientific institutions. More ..... 

Health Literacy (HL)

Health literacy is the wide range of skills, and competencies that people develop over their lifetimes to seek out, comprehend, evaluate, and use health information to make informed choices, reduce health risks, and increase quality of life. More .....

Public Appreciation of Science (PAS)

Public Appreciation of Science (PAS) seeks to engage people in and encourage enthusiasm and respect for science by seeing value or connections to themselves, thereby stimulating improvements in Science Literacy  More …..

Public Understanding of Science (PUoS)

PUoS addresses many aspects of the inter-relationships between science (including technology and medicine) and the public including: popular representations of science, scientific and para-scientific belief systems, science in schools, history of science, education of popular science, science and the media.   More .....    

Science Communication (SC)

Science Communication (as defined by the Science Communicators Network (SCN) is the practice of communicating science-related topics to non-experts. In the field of Science Communication, this usually extends to the communication of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) topics. More .....

Science Literacy (SL)

Science literacy (SL) relates to the ability to think scientifically and to use scientific knowledge and processes to both understand the world around us and to participate in decisions that affect it.    In other words, it is provision of the skill enabling a person to utilise science - to gain understanding, hopefully betterment of livelihoods and participation in the community.  More ….. 

Science (and Technology) in Society (STS)

STS is a relatively new interdisciplinary programme, emerging from the confluence of a variety of disciplines and sub-disciplines with an interest in viewing science and technology as socially embedded enterprises.   More .....