Regresar

Communication and the impact of science: the initiatives of Ecuadorian universities

Abstract:

Every day the need to communicate science from the academy to society in general grows. Scientific digital social networks (RSDC) are emerging platforms that offer interaction between academics and socialization of research. To study whether Ecuadorian universities promote the communication of research results and whether or not their policies and structure encourage this disclosure, a mixed approach methodology was used. The following were analyzed: research documents from 26 Ecuadorian universities, with training in communication/journalism; interviews with research authorities and teachers to find out their perception of initiatives to promote research and the use of RSDC; and, the presence and impact that teachers have on them was measured. It is evident that the communication of science is a teaching initiative, but also, of the university institutions, one of the main diffusion mechanisms are the RSDC. The greater the visibility, the greater the impact of the investigation.