Journal of Business and Technical Communication Jan 2021 OA PDF

Is It Fake News or Is It Open Science? Science Communication in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Amy Koerber Texas Tech University

Abstract

This article explores science communication in the context of COVID-19 through a case study of a January 31, 2020, bioRxiv preprint publication that led to conspiracy theories by suggesting that SARS-CoV-2 originated in the laboratory through genetic engineering. Analysis will consider the initial preprint, the scientific critique that led it to be withdrawn, the conspiracy theories that continue to circulate, and the larger debate that this example has sparked among advocates and critics of open science.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
2021-01-01
DOI
10.1177/1050651920958506
CompPile
Open Access
OA PDF Bronze
Topics
argument scientific writing qualitative research
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (4)

  1. Kenzie et al. (2025)
    Don’t Read the Comments: Discourse About COVID-19 Vaccines in a State Health De…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Richter (2025)
    Designing Social Media Learning Environments to Promote Digital Literacy
    Communication Design Quarterly
  3. Lambrecht (2025)
    Risk Revisited: The Role of Technical Communication in Negotiating Barriers to …
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Chen (2025)
    Constructed Ethos and Kairotic Responses in Communicating About the COVID-19 Pa…
    Technical Communication Quarterly

References (11)

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  2. 10.7208/chicago/9780226099088.001.0001
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  1. Lecrubier A. (2020, March 18). COVID-19: Could hydroxychloroquine really be an answer? Medscape. https://www.…
  2. Lee S. M. (2020, February 4). Shoddy coronavirus studies are going viral and stoking panic. BuzzFeed News . …
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CrossRef global citation count: 27 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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