Gema Revuelta Science Communication Observatory Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Science Communication Initiatives and Policies (SCIP) Measuring their Impact

Professional incubatorTraining and education

Research

Consulting For Research Institutions & Administration

Scientific Culture

Promotion

SCO-UPF in PLACES

To measure and analyze the impact on society of various scientific culture initiatives & policies (SCIP), in 3 contexts:

– science centres or museums– science events or festivals– science cities or cities of scientific culture

in order to deliver recommendations for future actions for cities of scientific culture (for EC &for the SCIP responsibles).

Impact Assessment Committee

• An independent scientific committee composed of a group of 28 researchers all currently specialised in the study of Science in Society.– from diverse backgrounds– members span across almost all of Europe

Workshop 1[General]

Overview

& Concepts

Workshop 2a[

Impact on Society

Workshop 2b[

Impact on the City

Workshop 2c[

Impact on actors

Workshop 3

A common tool kit

VALI

DATI

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(6 P

ilot I

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30 IM

PACT

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CASE

STU

DIE

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MOBILISING AND DESIGNING

OVERVIEW

Workshop 1

Overview &

Concepts

11th April, 2011

31st May, 2011

16th June, 2011

29th Sept, 2011

7th Jun, 2011

Sep-Dec 2011

Jan-Dec 2012

RECO

MM

ENDA

TIO

NS

May 2013

“The PLACES TOOLKIT for the Impact Assessment of Science Communication Initiatives and Policies”

• The toolkit is not strictly designed to evaluate the results of an individual SCIP on participants or organisations but rather, for a wider application to analyse the collective effects of SCIPs.– Summative effects– Long term– Crossing areas

Which SCIP’s impacts on who?

• On the public

• On the political sphere (local/regional/city)

• On actors

On political sphere (regional/local/cities)

Socio Economic Impacts: sources of income, local tourism, new jobs, new forms of public/private interaction, new investments in infrastructures

Impacts on Cultural Identity and Quality of Life: media attention, public participation, cultural identity

Impacts on Policies: overall added-value of a local “Culture of Science and Technology”; involvement and role of local/regional authorities, scientists, experts and citizens; new partnerships

Impacts on Education (and the educational system). new formative courses, new educational material, school , etc.

On public sphere (participants)

•Immediate impact on: learning of key concepts, understanding principles, attitudes towards S&T, attitudes towards the science centre or science event, motivation, inspiration, interest in following S&T news/events/innovations, beliefs about controversial issues, self-esteem, confidence

•Long term effects on: citizenship, consumerism, intellectual curiosity (memorable experiences, changes in behaviour, and participation in public events).

•Impact on the public perception about the notion of “a ciy of scientific culture”

On actors

•Potential areas of impact include: career enhancement, competitiveness, learning/getting feedback about public response to research + raising new research topics and questions, learning about scientific expertise, enhancing learning opportunities for pupils...

Testing and feedback

Final version of this toolkit has incorporated the adjustments, changes and recommendations derived from:– 6 pilot studies in various European nations– 7 feedback interviews with members of

organizations pertaining to ECSITE, EUSEA and ERRIN– PLACES Project Executive Commitee

Parts of the Toolkit

• Part I. Presentation, introduction to the impact assessment in the area of SCIP – (pages 1-13)

• Part II. The tool– (pages 14-78)

• Annex I. Literature Review– (pages 79-89)

PART II. The Tool

•Basic concepts, structure, potential areas of impact of SCIP, instrument selection, methodological considerations, etc.

Pages 14-34

•Modules (instruments)Pages 34-78

A triple dimension/level (3x3) approach

Science centres orMuseums

Science events or festivals

Science cities or cities of scientific culture

Public

Political sphere(local/region/citiy)

Actors

Instruments

• Institutional sources• Document analysis• Surveys• Semi-structured interviews• Focus groups

Science centres orMuseums

Science events or festivals

Science cities or cities of scientific culture

Public Institutional sourcesModule A1Module A2

Institutional sourcesModule A1Module A2

Module A3

Political sphere(local/region/citiy)

Module B1 Module B1 Module B1Module B2

Actors Module C1Module C2

Module C1Module C2

Module C3Module C1

Ex. 1: impact of a science center on public, on the political sphere and on actors

• Institucional sources (about impact on visitors)• Module A1: semi-structured interviews with visitors• Module A2: standarysed survey to visitors

• Module B1: semi-structured interviews with stakeholders (as observers)• Module B2: focus group with stakeholders (as observers)

• Module C1: semi-structured interviews with actors• Module C2: focus group with actors

Ex. 1. Impact of a science center on public . Exemple: some questions to repeated visitors

Workshop 1[General]

Overview

& Concepts

Workshop 2a[

Impact on Society

Workshop 2b[

Impact on the City

Workshop 2c[

Impact on actors

Workshop 3

A common tool kit

VALI

DATI

ON

(6 P

ilot I

mpa

ct A

sses

smen

ts)

30 IM

PACT

ASS

ESSM

ENT

CASE

STU

DIE

S

MOBILISING AND DESIGNING

OVERVIEW

Workshop 1

Overview &

Concepts

11th April, 2011

31st May, 2011

16th June, 2011

29th Sept, 2011

7th Jun, 2011

Sep-Dec 2011

Jan-Dec 2012

RECO

MM

ENDA

TIO

NS

May 2013

CentresEventsCities

CentresEventsCities

CentresEventsCities

CentresEventsCities

Some cases

• Case A. Science centre A (less than 5 years from its inauguration, big city more than 1 M inhabitants)

• Field work: March-April 2012• Modules used: A2, B1, C2

Repeated visitors

The Science Centre A has a high number of repeat visitors (66%);

for about a third (34%), this visit was their first visit.

Science Citizenship

50.8% reported that they followed up the exhibition in some way. Most of these looked up information (internet).

24.6% discussed issues of the exhibition with other people. Influences also led to activity, such as transferring the learning in the family, artwork or crafts or influence on teaching or research.

comparative interest with other cultural venue or arts galleries

59.7% found the visit of the Science Centre A more interesting than visiting an art gallery or another cultural venue

11.2% find it a little or a lot less interesting

29.1% find it as interesting.

Consumer behaviour (in regard to the current exhibition)

54.3% thought it would influence their behaviour with regards to food labels

44.7% though it would not (many of the respondents added that they already paid a lot of attention).

Attributed importance of Science Centre A for the city A

78.1% believed that Science Centre A plays an important part in the cultural life of City A

16.5% neither agreed nor disagreed

4.9% disagree

Attributed importance of Science Centre A for the city A

56.3% thought the Science Centre A plays an important part in the economic development of city

34% neither agreed nor disagreed

8.7% disagreed

Attributed importance of Science Centre A for the city A

64.6% thought that the Science Centre A was an important symbol of City A

25.2% neither agreed nor disagreed

nearly 10% disagreed

Quality of life, media impact (interviews)

The impacts of science communication activities at the Science Center A on the media were noted by several interviewees.

The centre was seen as “encouraging media to be more interested in science through imaginative ways of raising the media’s interest” (IV4).

Economic impact(interviews)

Most of these questions produced minimal or no answers. Interviewees could not think of impacts of science communication activities beyond those directly of the Science Centre A

The Science Centre success in attracting sponsorship was noted by all

other

One interviewee underlined the ability of the Science Centre’s unusual approaches to attract new audiences but also to draw attention to the creativity (IV4):

If we can harness for science the creativity that appears to be inherent in [country name] people we could become a very significant player in science for a small country (IV4).

Case B

• Science centre B (more than 20 years from its inauguration, big city more than 1 M inhabitants)

• Field work: June 2012• Modules used: A2, B1

Following your last visit to [name of science centre B] did you go looking/search for more

information on science and technology?

N %Yes 59 49,6%No 58 48,7%DKN 2 1,7%

I think [SCIENCE CENTRE B] plays an important part in the cultural life of [name of city]

N %Strongly agree 72 36,0%Agree 96 48,0%Neither agree nor disagree 25 12,5%Disagree 7 3,5%Strongly disagreee 0 0,0%

I think [SCIENCE CENTRE B] plays an important part in the economical development of [name of city]

N %Strongly agree 18 9,0%Agree 65 32,5%Neither agree nor disagree 94 47,0%Disagree 18 9,0%Strongly disagreee 5 2,5%

Case C

• Science Event C (1 week yearly, more than 20 years from its first edition, medium/small city less than 500.000 inhabitants)

• Field work: Feb 2012• Modules used: A1, B1

Repeated visitors

N %

1 time before 32 16,0%

2 times 29 14,5%

3-5 times 41 20,5%

6 or more times 11 5,5%

Never before 81 40,5%

DKN 6 3,0%

Following your last visit to [name of science EVENT C] did you go looking/search for more

information on science and technology?

N %Yes 99 68,3%No 25 17,2%DKN 21 14,5%

I think [SCIENCE EVENT C] plays an important part in the cultural life of [name of city]

N %Strongly agree 44 20,3%Agree 107 49,3%Neither agree nor disagree 49 22,6%Disagree 14 6,5%Strongly disagreee 3 1,4%

Science Event C plays an important role in the cultural life of city C? (Interviews)

I dont really think we could say it plays an important role, because it takes place just for a week, but what is sure is that almost all of inhabitants of [name of the city] has participated as least one time

Case D

• Science City D (big city more than 1M inhabitants)

• Field work: April 2012• Modules used: B1, B2

SCIP and the concept of “city of scientific Culture”

The activities induced by the SCIP are run above all by the Science Museum X. They concern a little niche of tourism, but above all the connection with the local research institutes. Indeed, it is relevant if we think of the topic of sustainability: there is a real productive chain touching the communication of this topic to the local industries working, for example, in the wood market.

SCIP and the concept of “city of scientific Culture”

The added-value of a local culture of science and technology is fundamental for a small reality as we are. The impact of the research activities in our region is very high, we have research institutes more and more connected to each other and abroad. The political decision in this field are clear and strong.

SCIP and the concept of “city of scientific Culture”

A local scientific and technological culture is close to come. It is not the result of some unapproachable genius… we are Province-dependent and this is a problem and an advantage. We have one of the highest rate of public investments in research, but of the lowest for private ones. To work in communication means for me to reduce this gap.

SCIP and the concept of “city of scientific Culture”

The role of the public body (the Province) as leader in orienting the SCIPs.

SCIP and the concept of “city of scientific Culture”

The role of the Science Museum X as the main actor in the local communication, dissemination and participation of STS (science, technology and sustainability) issues.

The relatively good collaboration among different actors in the field of the scientific research (university, scientific institutes, museum).

What is for you a “city of scientific culture” (spontaneous answers from citizens)

•The most part of the population considers knowledge in science and technology as a cultural value

•A city that promotes science at school, universities, museums, conferences

•An international reference on science (with exhibitions, debates…)

•A city with centers and spaces to spreading, expose and investigate scientific topics

•A capital of science and culture

•A city with companies engaged with science and technology

Download the Toolkit: directly from..

• www.openplaces.eu/sites/default/files/work_package_6_-_deliverable_1_-_places_impact_assessment_toolkit.pdf

• www.occ.upf.edu/img/imatges_cms/TOOLKIT%20MAY%202012.pdf

Download the Toolkit: from the SCO-UPF blog

http://comunicacioncientifica.wordpress.com/2012/06/07/introducing-the-places-toolkit-for-the-impact-assessment-of-science-communication-initiatives-and-policies/

Download the Toolkit: from the PLACES blog

http://www.openplaces.eu/updates/blog/80224