Progress 08/01/01 to 12/31/05
Outputs
Advances in the science of genetics have implications for individuals and society, and have to be taken into account at the policy level. Studies of ethical, legal and social issues (ELSI) related to genomic research have therefore been integrated in the Human Genome Project since the earliest days of the project. Since 1990, 3-5 percent of the HGP annual budget has been devoted to such studies, under the umbrella of the ELSI Programs of the NIH and the DOE. The DOE-ELSI budget has been used to fund a variety of projects that have aimed at 'promoting education and help guide the conduct of genetic research and the development of related medical and public policies.' As part of the educational component, a significant portion of DOE-ELSI funds have been dedicated to public outreach projects, with the underlying goal of promoting public awareness and ultimately public discussion of ethical, legal, and social issues surrounding availability of genetic information. The
essential assumption behind these projects is that greater access to information will lead to more knowledge about ethical, legal and social issues, which in turn will lead to enhanced ability on the part of individuals and communities to deal with these issues when they encounter them. Over the same period of time, new concepts of 'public understanding of science' have emerged in the theoretical realm, moving from a 'deficit' or linear dissemination of popularization, to models stressing lay-knowledge, public engagement and public participation in science policy-making. This project used the base of DOE-funded ELSI educational projects to explore the ways that information about a new and emerging area of science that is intertwined with public issues has been used in educational public settings to affect public understanding of science. After a theoretical background discussion, our approach is three-fold. First, we provided an overview, a 'map' of DOE-funded of outreach programs
within the overall ELSI context to identify the importance of the educational component, and to present the criteria we used to select relevant and representative case studies. Second, we documented the history of the case studies. Finally, we explore an intertwined set of research questions: (1) To identify what we can expect such projects to accomplish -in other words to determine the goals that can reasonably be achieved by different types of outreach, (2) To point out how the case study approach could be useful for DOE-ELSI outreach as a whole, and (3) To use the case study approach as a basis to test theoretical models of science outreach in order to assess to what extent those models accord with real world outreach activities. For this last goal, we aimed at identifying what practices among ELSI outreach activities contribute most to dissemination, or to participation, in other words in which cases outreach materials spark action in terms of public participation in decisions
about scientific issues.
Impacts
The research shows that ELSI outreach projects use a variety of outreach models, without adhering to any 'pure' model. This will have implications for program planners as they create future outreach activities.
Publications
- Brossard, D. and Lewenstein, B.V. 2002. Public Understanding of Ethical, Legal and Social Issues Related to Genomics: Assessing Communication Models in Intercultural Contexts. Paper read at IAMCR, International Association of Mass Communication Research, July, at Barcelona, Spain.
- Brossard, D., Radin, J. and Lewenstein, B.V. 2002. Public Understanding of Ethical, Legal and Social Issues Related to Genomics: Assessing Communication Models in Intercultural Contexts. Paper read at PCST7, International Network on Public Communication of Science and Technology, December, at Cape Town, South Africa.
|
Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
This project has identified four models of scientific outreach. Plans are in process for a workshop to disseminate results of the research.
Impacts
The research shows that ELSI outreach projects use a variety of outreach models, without adhering to any "pure" model. This will have implications for program planners as they create future outreach activities.
Publications
- Brossard, Dominique, and Bruce Lewenstein. 2004. Assessing Models of Outreach in ELSI Projects -- Report to the Doe's ELSI Program. Ithaca, NY, USA: Cornell University, Department of Communication.
|
Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
Two reports were completed based on the research conducted in earlier years, and planning is proceeding for a workshop to be held in 2004 for disseminating the results.
Impacts
The research shows that ELSI outreach projects use a variety of outreach models, without adhering to any "pure" model. This will have implications for program planners as they create future outreach activities.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
|
Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
During 2002, we conducted a content analysis of the project summaries for more than 80 projects funded by the DOE/ELSI program, to categorize the types of outreach conducted by the projects. We also conducted detailed interviews and documentary reviews of 5 specific projects, and have begun to prepare detailed case studies on those projects.
Impacts
This project will provide guidance to ELSI outreach projects on the types of outreach activities that can be conducted, including the goals that can reasonably be achieved by different types of outreach. In addition, the project will provide data for testing theoretical models of science outreach, to assess whether those models accord with real world outreach activities.
Publications
- Lewenstein, B.V. and Brossard, D. 2002. Assessing Models of Public Understanding in ELSI Outreach Programs. Proceedings: Department of Energy Workshop on Human Genome Project, Oakland, CA, 29 January 2002, available online at http://www.ornl.gov/hgmis/publicat/02santa/elsi.html.
- Brossard, D., Lewenstein, B.V. and Radin, J. 2002. Public Understanding of Ethical, Legal and Social Issues Related to Genomic Research: Assessing Communication Models in Intercultural Contexts. Proceedings: Science Communication in a Diverse World -- 7th International Conference on Public Communication of Science and Technology, available online at http://www.fest.org.za/pcst/programme/papers.html
|
Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
Funding for this project was only received late in 2001. Literature review has begun and a post-doctoral associate to conduct the project has been hired (effective January 2002).
Impacts
This project will have both theoretical and practical impacts. It will test theories of "public understanding of science," helping see whether new models of public understanding have a basis in actual outreach projects. At the practical level, the project will develop evaluation and assessment tools useful in the science outreach community.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
|
|