Publications
The following is a list of some of the Centre for the Public Awareness of Science publications.
Refereed journal papers
If you read one of the latest print issues of Science, you'll see CPAS Senior Lecturer Dr Ehsan Nabavi and colleagues' book review on "The responsibility turn: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic inspire a guide to recognising the politics of modelling."
Mathematical modellers have traditionally considered politics irrelevant to their practice, arguing that their work represents objective science, the implications of which are determined by others’ use of it. However, this perspective has evolved as researchers have incorporated insights from science and technology studies to explore modelling beyond its technical aspects. The recent book The Politics of Modelling, edited by Andrea Saltelli and Monica Di Fiore, represents such an endeavour. Read the full review here.
For more context, listen to Ehsan's conversation with Andrea Saltelli on ABC, where they discuss the politics of modelling and the future of modelling in public policy issues, especially post-COVID. Listen to the podcast here.
Refereed journal papers
- Waiting for advice that is beyond doubt: uncertainty as Australia's reason for joining the invasion of Iraq.
Visting Fellow and recent CPAS alum Christiane Gerblinger recently published her article, 'Waiting for advice that is beyond doubt: uncertainty as Australia's reason for joining the invasion of Iraq', with the Intelligence and National Security journal.
A dominant theme across examinations of the intelligence used to justify invading Iraq in 2003 is that political decision-makers amplified the clarity of their evidence. What has been missed is that Australia did exactly the opposite: here, the political leadership channelled uncertainty, inconclusiveness and doubt into highly effective rhetorical manoeuvres that embraced the imperfection of evidence and, with it, sufficiently weakened arguments that an invasion could take place only with absolute proof. Christiane's article examines the role of Australian intelligence amid a complex mix of factors that facilitated those manoeuvres.
Read more here.
Refereed journal papers
de Kauwe, V., Orthia, L.A. (2018). Knowledge, power and the ethics illusion: Explaining diverse viewer interpretations of the politics in classic era Doctor Who. The Journal of Popular Television, 6(2). doi: 10.1386/jptv.6.2.151_1
Dunn, M.E., McKinnon, M. (2018). How can university sexual health promotion events reach those most at risk? A cross-sectional study. Sexual Health. https://doi.org/10.1071/SH16228
Linvill, Darren L., Boatwright, Brandon C. & Grant, Will J. (2018) “Back-stage” dissent: student Twitter use addressing instructor ideology. Communication Education. Prepublished 29 Jan 2018.
Refereed journal papers
Lamberts, R. (2017). Science-> society: Distrust of experts happens when we forget they are human beings. Chemistry in Australia, (Nov 2017), 34.
Vilkins, S. & Grant, W.J. (2017). Types of evidence cited in Australian Government publications. Scientometrics. Prepublished 10 October 2017. doi: 10.1007/s11192-017-2544-2.
Lamberts, R. (2017). Science communication: frequently public, occasionally intellectual. Journal of Science Communication, 16(01), C01.
McKinnon, M. & Bryant, C. (2017). Thirty years of a science communication course in Australia: Genesis and evolution of a degree. Science Communication, 39(2), 169-194. doi: 10.1177/1075547017696166
McKinnon, M., Ahmad, M., Bongers, M., Chevalier, R., Telfer, I., & Van Dorssen, C. (2017). Media coverage of lethal control: A case study of kangaroo culling in the Australian Capital Territory. Human Dimensions of Wildlife. Prepublished online 8 December 2017. doi: 10.1080/10871209.2018.1396511.
Medvecky, F. & Leach, J. (2017). Editorial: The ethics of science communication. Journal of Science Communication, 16(04), E1-5.
Gascoigne, T. & Metcalfe, J. (2017) The emergence of modern science communication in Australia. Journal of Science Communication, 16(03), A01.
McKinnon, M., Howes, J., Leach, A. & Prokop, N. (2017). Perils and positives of science journalism in Australia. Public Understanding of Science. Prepublished online 29 March 2017. doi: 10.1177/0963662517701589.
Popular media
Watson, M. (2017, November 26). Ask Fuzzy: Gene editing breakthrough of the century. The Canberra Times.
McKinnon, M. (2017, November 10). Brian Cox is a world record holding 'rockstar scientist'. Here's why. The Conversation.
Lamberts, R. (2017, July 7). Book review: The Death of Expertise. The Conversation.
Zhang, T. (2017, May 5). Why I marched for science. ANU Science Student Blog.
Lamberts R. (2017, January 3). Why don't people get it? Seven ways risk communication can fail. The Conversation.
Grant, W.J. & Lamberts, R. (2017, March 14). Seven things to keep in mind if you're going to March for Science. The Conversation.
Conference presentations
Russell, W. (2017) Bringing dialogue to public engagement in science and technology: A workshop on communicative practices. Paper presented at Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy & Social Studies of Science Biennial Conference, Wollongong, 22-24 November 2017.
Perera, S. & Zhang, T. (2017) Co-construction of multicultural perspectives within science communication: A learning community case study. Paper presented at Australasian Association for the History, Philosophy & Social Studies of Science Biennial Conference, Wollongong, 22-24 November 2017.
Smith, C. (2017). Tradeoffs in deliberative public engagement with science. Presented at the Australian Science Communicators National Conference, Adelaide, 23-24 February 2017.
Selected media coverage
Baker, E. (2017, April 27). ANU launches training program for scientists from eight African countries. The Canberra Times.
ANU Media. (2017, October 30). ANU seeks public views on gene-altering technology. ANU News. Story on Michel Watson's PhD research.
CBAA. (2017, October 12-19). Multiple broadcasters, syndicated Australia Wide (radio). Interview with Vanessa de Kauwe about her PhD research.
ANU Media. (2017, October 11). Science boosts skills of young people with intellectual disabilities. ANU News. Reports on Vanessa de Kauwe's PhD research.
ANU News. (2017, April 27). ANU collaborates with African science centres. ANU News.
ANU Science. (2017, November 28). When science skills become life skills. ANU Science, Environment, Health and Medicine Research Stories. Reports on Vanessa de Kauwe's PhD research.
Varischetti, B. (2017, October 12) Survey tests attitudes to human gene therapy. ABC Perth Drive. Interview with Michel Watson about her PhD research.
Book chapters
Smith, C. (2017). A case study of crowdsourcing imagery coding in natural disasters. In S. Hai-Jew (ed.) Data Analytics in Digital Humanities, Springer, pp. 2017-230.