The sociology of childhood as scientific communication - Observations from a social systems perspective

This article begins by identifying a close relationship between the image of children generated by several sociologists working within the new sociology of childhood perspective and the claims and ambitions of the proponents of children's autonomy rights. The image of the child as a competent, self-controlled human agent are then subjected to observation from the perspective of Niklas Luhmann's social systems theory. The new sociology of childhood's constructivist approach is compared and contrasted with Niklas Luhmann's theory of 'operational constructivism'. The article applies tenets of Luhmann's theory, to the emergence of the new childhood sociologist's image of the child as a competent, self-controlled social agent, to the epistemological status of this image and, in particular, to claims that it derives from scientific endeavour. The article proceeds to identify two theoretical developments within sociology - sociology of identity and social agency - which have brought about fundamental changes in what may be considered 'sociological' and so 'scientific' and paved the way for sociological communications about what children,really are'. In conclusion, it argues that the merging of sociology with polemics, ideology, opinion and personal beliefs and, at the level of social systems, between science and politics represents in Luhmann's terms 'dedifferentiation'- a tendency he claims may have serious adverse consequences for modern society. This warning is applied to the scientific status of sociology - its claim to be able to produce 'facts' for society, upon which social systems, such as politics and law, may rely. Like the mass media, sociology may now be capable of producing only information, and not facts, about children.

Rhetorical purpose and the use of definitions as a coherence device in scientific communication

Se analiza la funci��n de las definiciones en los textos cient��ficos como elemento esencial para crear coherencia y dotar de comprensibilidad al texto. Se presentan varios ejemplos en textos de divulgaci��n y en art��culos dirigidos a pares.

Public scientific communication on Twitter:visual analytic approach

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to assess high-dimensional visualisation, combined with pattern matching, as an approach to observing dynamic changes in the ways people tweet about science topics. Design/methodology/approach - The high-dimensional visualisation approach was applied to three scientific topics to test its effectiveness for longitudinal analysis of message framing on Twitter over two disjoint periods in time. The paper uses coding frames to drive categorisation and visual analytics of tweets discussing the science topics. Findings - The findings point to the potential of this mixed methods approach, as it allows sufficiently high sensitivity to recognise and support the analysis of non-trending as well as trending topics on Twitter. Research limitations/implications - Three topics are studied and these illustrate a range of frames, but results may not be representative of all scientific topics. Social implications - Funding bodies increasingly encourage scientists to participate in public engagement. As social media provides an avenue actively utilised for public communication, understanding the nature of the dialog on this medium is important for the scientific community and the public at large. Originality/value - This study differs from standard approaches to the analysis of microblog data, which tend to focus on machine driven analysis large-scale datasets. It provides evidence that this approach enables practical and effective analysis of the content of midsize to large collections of microposts.

E-publishing development and changes in the scholarly communication system

New and alternative scientific publishing business models is a reality driven mostly by the information and communication technologies, by the movements towards the recovery of control of the scientific communication activities by the academic community, and by the open access approaches. The hybrid business model, mixing open and toll-access is a reality and they will probably co-exist with respective trade-offs. This essay discusses the changes driven by the epublishing and the impacts on the scholarly communication system stakeholders' interrelationships (publishers-researchers, publishers-libraries and publishers-users interrelationships), and the changes on the scientific publishing business models, followed by a discussion of possible evolving business models. Whatever the model which evolves and dominates, a huge cultural change in authors' and institutions publishing practices will be necessary in order to make the open access happen and to consolidate the right business models for the traditional publishers. External changes such as policies, rewarding systems and institutions mandates should also happen in order to sustain the whole changing scenario.

Analyse bibliom��trique des revues Canadian Journal of Communication et Communication 1974-2005

L���objectif de cette ��tude est de saisir une image des ��l��ments explicitement reconnaissables de la recherche en communication visibles dans les revues savantes Canadian Journal of Communication et dans Communication de 1974 �� 2005. Il s���agit d���une analyse bibliom��trique des articles publi��s par les chercheurs d���institutions canadiennes et de leurs r��f��rences bibliographiques. La bibliom��trie est �� l���application de m��thodes statistiques aux livres et aux autres moyens de communication �� (Pritchard, 1969: 348-349). C���est la premi��re fois qu���une analyse de ce type est tent��e dans ce corpus particulier. Nous nous sommes appuy��s sur des postulats th��oriques provenant de la sociologie des sciences et des ��tudes en communication scientifique. L���id��e ma��tresse est la suivante : l���activit�� scientifique est un �� continuum de cr��ation de nouvelles connaissances �� (Vassallo, 1999), dont l���organisation est bas��e sur l�����change d���information (Price, 1963; Crane, 1972), qui se traduit en reconnaissance sociale, en autorit�� scientifique, et constitue un investissement pour l���acquisition de cr��dibilit�� (Merton, 1938; Hagstrom, 1965; Bourdieu, 1975; Latour et Woolgar, 1986). �� partir de l���analyse des articles, nous identifions s���ils sont le r��sultat de recherches empiriques ou fondamentales, ou le produit d���une r��flexion critique. Il s���agit aussi de d��tecter les approches m��thodologiques et les techniques d���investigation utilis��es, ainsi que les sujets qui y sont abord��s par les chercheurs. Nous d��tectons ��galement les principaux lieux de recherche (universit��s et types de d��partements). Nous analysons aussi les th��matiques des articles. Enfin, nous analysons des r��f��rences bibliographiques des articles afin de cerner les sources d���id��es qui y sont d��celables. Notre corpus principal comporte 1154 articles et 12 840 titres de documents en r��f��rence. L���analyse bibliom��trique des articles r��v��le ainsi une recherche canadienne en communication d���embl��e qualitative, int��ress��e pour les sp��cificit��s historiques, le contexte social et la compr��hension des interrelations sous-jacentes aux ph��nom��nes de communication, en particulier, au Canada et au Qu��bec. Au c��ur de ces ��tudes se distingue principalement l���application de l���analyse de contenu qualitative dans les m��dias en g��n��ral. Cependant, �� partir de 1980, l���exploration du cin��ma, de l���audiovisuel, des nouvelles technologies de l���information et de la communication, ainsi que la multiplication des sujets de recherche, annoncent un d��placement dans l���ordre des int��r��ts. Communication et le CJC, se distinguent cependant par l���origine linguistique des chercheurs qui y publient ainsi que dans les th��matiques. L���analyse des r��f��rences bibliographiques, et de leurs auteurs, met en relief l���int��r��t partag�� des chercheurs d���institutions universitaires canadiennes pour les agences de r��glementation et les politiques gouvernementales canadiennes s���appuyant souvent sur l���analyse de documents l��gislatifs et de rapports de diverses commissions d���enqu��te du gouvernement canadien. L���analyse r��v��le aussi les principales inspirations th��oriques et m��thodologiques des chercheurs. Parmi les plus cit��es, on voit Innis, McLuhan, Habermas, Tuchman, Bourdieu, Foucault, Raboy, et Rogers. Mais ces r��f��rences ��voluent dans le temps. On voit aussi une distinction relativement claire entre les sources cit��es par la recherche francophone et la recherche anglophone.

Criteria for analysis of the structure of electronic scientific journals

This paper is the result of the Masters dissertation studying the role and history of scientific communication, especially the changes that have occurred after the appearance of electronic communication and computer networks. This study showed that hypertext systems are increasingly being used in the scientific and academic world in the production of electronic journals; this makes it possible for the user to rapidly access information in their area. However, these systems need to be improved to help the user during search and access to information. Both printed journals migrating to electronic media, and the exclusively electronic journals should present the current quality indicators. The attempt was made to discover whether characteristics related to printed journals are being maintained in their electronic counterparts. For this, a prototype model was developed to analyze the structure of electronic scientific journals; it composes 14 criteria expressing aspects of quality for these journals. It includes elements of Website Information Architecture and those already in place in printed scientific journals in order to ensure that basic functions - archiving and dissemination - are maintained in electronic publishing. Each criterion consists of variables, which measure the maintenance of these functions both in the migrating printed journals and the exclusively electronic ones. This prototype model was used to analyze Ci��ncia da Informa����o On-line and DataGramaZero - Revista de Ci��ncia da Informa����o. Results indicate that this model is able to find out if the basic functions of archiving and dissemination are being maintained in electronic journals. Therefore, its implementation is justified in electronic journals. The model can help librarians, authors, and users of electronic journals to identify quality journals, and assist editors in developing their projects. The material from the study may be included in the preservice and inservice education of Information Science professionals and to support editors of scientific journals.

The University and its libraries: Reactions and resistance to scientific publishers

This paper addresses the relationship of copyright and the right of universities on scientific production. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are causing many changes in the system of scientific communication, such as the creation of Institutional Repositories that aim to gather scientific production in digital format. The University needs quicker ways of spreading academic production and many questions are emerging due to contexts such as the Open Access movement. Thus, this paper questions the positioning of Universities, especially Public Universities, which despite having policies related to intellectual property to protect the transferring forms of research results to society; many times do not have a positioning or a mechanism that regulates the self-deposit of scientific production in these Institutional Repositories. In order to develop this paper, the following issues are addressed: lack of interest of the University in storing scientific production; reports on the relationship of the library with scientific publishing houses; the participation of faculty members and students in supporting the Free Access movement; and initiatives aimed at greater flexibility of copyright to the context of scientific production. In order to follow the development of these issues at international level, it was opted for qualitative research with non-participating direct observation to carry out the identification and description of copyright policy of important publishers from the ROMEO SHERPA site; therefore, it can be observed that there are changes regarding the publishers' flexibility before self-archiving of authors in open access institutional repositories in their universities. Given this scenario, we presente reflections and considerations that involve the progress and mainly the integration of the University and its faculty members; the institution should recommend and guide its faculty members not to transfer their copyrights, but to defend their right of copy to Institutional Repositories along with Publishing Houses.

The University and its libraries: reactions and resistance to scientific publishers

This paper addresses the relationship of copyright and the right of universities on scientific production. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are causing many changes in the system of scientific communication, such as the creation of Institutional Repositories that aim to gather scientific production in digital format. The University needs quicker ways of spreading academic production and many questions are emerging due to contexts such as the Open Access movement. Thus, this paper questions the positioning of Universities, especially Public Universities, which despite having policies related to intellectual property to protect the transferring forms of research results to society; many times do not have a positioning or a mechanism that regulates the self-deposit of scientific production in these Institutional Repositories. In order to develop this paper, the following issues are addressed: lack of interest of the University in storing scientific production; reports on the relationship of the library with scientific publishing houses; the participation of faculty members and students in supporting the Free Access movement; and initiatives aimed at greater flexibility of copyright to the context of scientific production. In order to follow the development of these issues at international level, it was opted for qualitative research with non-participating direct observation to carry out the identification and description of copyright policy of important publishers from the ROMEO SHERPA site; therefore, it can be observed that there are changes regarding the publishers' flexibility before self-archiving of authors in open access institutional repositories in their universities. Given this scenario, we presente reflections and considerations that involve the progress and mainly the integration of the University and its faculty members; the institution should recommend and guide its faculty members not to transfer their copyrights, but to defend their right of copy to Institutional Repositories along with Publishing Houses.

Principes de communication et ro��le social du chercheur en matie��re de transfert de connaissances : une dualite�� source de questionnements e��thiques

Essai / Essay

Principes de communication et ro��le social du chercheur en matie��re de transfert de connaissances : une dualite�� source de questionnements e��thiques

Essai / Essay

Embedded librarian: relato de uma experi��ncia na Psicologia brasileira

O presente relato apresenta as principais atividades e desafios de um embedded librarian, ou bibliotec��rio integrado, junto aos diversos grupos envolvidos nos processos de comunica����o cient��fica e, mais especificamente, relacionados aos peri��dicos cient��ficos da ��rea de Psicologia. A exist��ncia de um bibliotec��rio integrado a esses grupos favoreceu a comunica����o e intera����o entre eles e contribuiu tamb��m para a qualifica����o de um conjunto de peri��dicos cient��ficos da ��rea.

Artigos cient��ficos como recurso did��tico no ensino superior de Qu��mica

Chemistry teachers increasingly use research articles in their undergraduate courses. This trend arises from current pedagogical emphasis on active learning and scientific process. In this paper, we describe some educational experiences on the use of research articles in chemistry higher education. Additionally, we present our own conclusions on the use of such methodology applied to a scientific communication course offered to undergraduate chemistry students at the University of S��o Paulo, Brazil.