"Once the persuasion took hold that science should open up to the public and these questions were raised, it became clear that coming up with satisfactory answers would be a complex challenge. The inaccessibility of scientific language and methods, due to ever increasing specialisation, is at the ba
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se of its very success. Thus, translating specialised knowledge to become understandable, interesting and relevant to various publics creates particular perils. This is exacerbated by the ongoing disruption of the public discourse through the digitisation of communication platforms. For example, the availability of medical knowledge on the internet and the immense opportunities to inform oneself about health risks via social media are undermined by the manipulable nature of this technology that does not allow its users to distinguish between credible content and misinformation. In countries around the world, scientists, policy-makers and the public have high hopes for science communication: that it may elevate its populations educationally, that it may raise the level of sound decision-making for people in their daily lives, and that it may contribute to innovation and economic well-being. This collection of current reflections gives an insight into the issues that have to be addressed by research to reach these noble goals, for South Africa and by South Africans in particular."
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"Evaluations of the Internet and Development have tended to focus on the extent to which a websites content, or message, has affected development activities. This research examines the usage of the medium itself, by conducting an applied evaluative study of eight urban-focused websites disseminating
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development research findings. Evaluated websites are decomposed into six components of website production, namely: architecture, technology, style, content, strategy and management. Key qualities associated with these components are then examined, in order to assess the suitability of each website from the perspective of an international audience. This paper's purpose is to help build the capacity of organisations working in the field of international development, which intend to evaluate their own website(s). It aims to support the evaluation process so that websites can be improved as a medium for communicating research to an international audience." (INTRAC website)
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