Communicating Popular Science

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xxi

   PDF

2. Foundations

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 1-1

      PDF

   2. Popular Science Writing: Problems and Potential

      • Sarah Tinker Perrault

      Pages 3-17

   3. Theoretical and Analytical Framework

      • Sarah Tinker Perrault

      Pages 18-36

   4. A Brief History of Science Popularization

      • Sarah Tinker Perrault

      Pages 37-47

   5. Practitioner Perspectives on their Craft

      • Sarah Tinker Perrault

      Pages 48-62

3. Applications

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 63-63

      PDF

   2. Boundary Work: Presenting Science in Context

      • Sarah Tinker Perrault

      Pages 65-81

   3. Expertise: Broadening the Scope of Participation

      • Sarah Tinker Perrault

      Pages 82-95

   4. Ethos: Establishing Relationships with Readers

      • Sarah Tinker Perrault

      Pages 96-112

   5. Rhetorical Orientations: Inviting Reader Engagement

      • Sarah Tinker Perrault

      Pages 113-139

   6. Technocracy and Democracy: Talking about Risk

      • Sarah Tinker Perrault

      Pages 140-159

4. Final Words

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 161-161

      PDF

   2. Conclusion: Toward a New Social Contract

      • Sarah Tinker Perrault

      Pages 163-169

5. Back Matter

   Pages 171-201

   PDF

Technoscientific developments often have far-reaching consequences, both negative and positive, for the public. Yet, because science has the authority to decide which judgments about scientific issues are sound, public concerns are often dismissed because they are not part of the technoscientific paradigm they question. This book addresses the role of science popularization in that paradox; it explains how science writing works and argues that it can do better at promoting public discussions about science-related issues. To support these arguments, it situates science popularization in its historical and cultural context; provides a conceptual framework for analyzing popular science texts; and examines the rhetorical effects of common strategies used in popular science writing. Twenty-six years after Dorothy Nelkin's groundbreaking book, Selling Science: How the Press Covers Science and Technology, popular science writing is still not meeting its potential as a public interest genre; Communicating Popular Science explores how it can move closer to doing so.

• democracy
• history of science
• Popular Science
• science

• University of California, Davis, USA

  Sarah Tinker Perrault

Sarah Tinker Perrault is Assistant Professor in the University Writing Program at the University of California, Davis, USA. In addition to rhetoric of science, her research interests include writing pedagogy and rhetorical theory. Her work has appeared in Composition Studies, the Journal of General Education and Bird Watcher's Digest.

Policies and ethics