Accommodating Scientific Illiteracy: Award-Winning Visualizations on the Covers of Science

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jan 2012

Accommodating Scientific Illiteracy: Award-Winning Visualizations on the Covers of Science

Maria E. Gigante University of Maryland, College Park

Abstract

The International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge, recently established by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is an alleged attempt at public outreach. The NSF encourages scientists to submit visualizations that would appeal to non-expert audiences by displaying their work in an annual “special feature” in Science magazine, and each year they present the winning image on the cover of Science as the ultimate reward. Although the NSF advertizes the competition as an attempt to educate non-scientists, the visualizations lack sufficient textual explanation in the Science special feature articles and do not demonstrate clear significance for current issues in science. This article assesses the actual motivations behind the NSF's “Visualization Challenge,” given the lack of accompanying textual information, and it explores the consequences of allowing “scientific” visualizations to float into the public sphere unexplained. It will be shown that the spirit of this competition exemplifies the current shift from “public understanding of science” to “public appreciation of science” in the growing field of Science Communication, particularly through the technique of “framing” devices. This shift in objective, accentuated in the realm of visual communication, reinforces the public's view of science as a mythic authority.

Journal: Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published: 2012-01-01
DOI: 10.2190/tw.42.1.c
Open Access: Closed
Topics: multimodality scientific writing public rhetoric

Citation Context

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CrossRef global citation count: 5 View in citation network →

Accommodating Scientific Illiteracy: Award-Winning Visualizations on the Covers of <i>Science</i>

Abstract

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (3)

Cites in this index (1)

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