Browsing by Subject "science communication"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Data from: Exploring Video Abstracts in Science Journals
    (2014-03-05) Spicer, Scott; spic0016@umn.edu; Spicer, Scott
    Data from a study exploring the emerging role of video abstracts in science scholarship, with implications for library based publishers and other services.
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    Research from pod to pod: Harvest time optimization of shatter-resistant pennycress, camelina integration into the corn-soybean rotation, and communicating science via podcast.
    (2022-10) Cubins, Julija
    Corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr) dominate the agricultural landscape in the Upper Midwest, but limits crop production to the summer months. There is a fallow period from late autumn through the spring that is associated with externalities such as nutrient loss and a lack of economically-viable crop production despite useable growing degree days during that period. Thus, pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) and camelina (Camelina sativa L.) are crops of interest for use during the corn-soybean fallow period. While both crops have been researched heavily for the past decade, questions about their production remain unanswered. Thus, the purpose of this dissertation is to further understand how pennycress harvest can be optimized for use within the corn-soybean rotation; observe the agronomic and economic dynamics when camelina is integrated into the corn-soybean rotation as a winter cash crop; further describe the effect of camelina in nutrient loss prevention over the typically-fallow period; and assess the role of camelina in the corn-soybean carbon cycle. All agronomic experiments were carried out over the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons. The pennycress experiment was conducted in Rosemount, MN, USA, while the camelina experiments were conducted in Morris and Rosemount, MN, USA. However, the research process does not end after data collection, analysis, and publication. For many scientists, there is a growing need to communicate findings with the general public rather than just to academic peers and industry and government stakeholders. This dissertation also explores the use of podcasting as a science communication medium though an experiential project, Hooked on Science.
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    Self-affirming values: Defensive processing of information about human embryonic stem-cell (hESC) research
    (2020-07) Jordan, Joshua
    Self-affirmation research suggests that affirming important values can reduce defensive responses to threatening information. However, whether this holds in the context of information about the life sciences is not clear. Integrating self-affirmation and values drawn from science communication research, the objective was to better understand core values associated with hESC research and to exclude these values from a subsequent self-affirmation intervention focusing on information about hESC research; and to test the hypothesis that self-affirming a value unrelated to hESC research would reduce defensive processing of information about it. Data were obtained from a pretest study survey and a main study experiment. In the pretest study (n = 315), several values were found to correlate with a favorable view of hESC research, but not opposition to it, since the sample was primarily individuals with a favorable view. A new list of values was thus adopted for the main study, which focused specifically on individuals opposed to hESC research. The main study (n = 113) showed that affirming a value unrelated to hESC research does not reduce defensive processing of information about it. The implications of these findings for science communication are discussed.