Tessa Roedema - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Tessa Roedema

CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research - Zenodo, Apr 8, 2022

The aim of this report is to explore how European citizens make sense of the COVID-19 pandemic. I... more The aim of this report is to explore how European citizens make sense of the COVID-19 pandemic. Inorder to do so, we conducted 81 in-depth interviews with citizens, during the first wave of the pandemic. Participants came from eight European countries: Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Following the Sensemaking Methodology (SMM) developed by Dervin (2008), during these interviews we explored how citizens made sense of so-called micromoments: specific moments in which they stumbled upon questions and uncertainties relating to the pandemic.

Journal of Science Communication

The practice of science communication is fundamentally changing. This requires science communicat... more The practice of science communication is fundamentally changing. This requires science communication practitioners to continuously adapt their practice to an ever-changing ecosystem and highlights the importance of reflective practice for science communication. In this study, we supported 21 science communication practitioners in developing a reflective practice. Our study shows that reflective practice enabled practitioners in becoming aware of their own stance towards science or assumptions regarding audiences (single-loop learning), underlying and sometimes conflicting values or worldviews present in science communication situations (double-loop learning), and facilitated practitioners to adapt their practice accordingly. Triple-loop learning, allowing practitioners to fundamentally rethink and transform their mode of science communication, was less observed. We argue that reflective practice contributes to opening-up public conversations on science — including a conversation on ...

The current science communication ecosystem is highly fragmented, dynamic and complex. This provi... more The current science communication ecosystem is highly fragmented, dynamic and complex. This provides science communicators with both opportunities, but also leads to difficult challenges. The RETHINK project aims to understand the changing landscape of science communication and research, experiment with and develop methods for science communicators to stimulate open, transparent and productive science-society interactions. In the past two and a half years RETHINK has strived to understand this complex ecosystem. Whilst science communicators generally recognize opportunities to strengthen the ties between science and society, many science communication practitioners and scholars involved in the RETHINK project perceive a disconnect between science and society, i.e., a disconnect with their audiences. Four (interrelated) developments play an important role in this disconnect, and have been explored in earlier research by RETHINK. First, the boundaries between science and society have become blurred, confronting the public with a vast amount of information from a variety of sources and as a result, facts are increasingly becoming mixed with opinions and scientific issues are becoming politized. Second, science communication has become heavily digitalized, fundamentally changing the relationship between science and society, leading to new channels and resources for science communication, and facilitating the creation of information about science by a variety of publics online. Third, the rapid proliferation of misinformation and affiliated polarization, magnified by the pandemic's sudden emergence, changes the dynamics between science and society further. Fourth, misconceptions of how citizens make sense of complex science-related problems and the inability to reach all members of society equally when communicating about science are sobering insights for science communication professionals: their practice might not reach their audiences as effectively as thought. The contemporary science communication ecosystem is thus highly complex and science communicators are working to find ways to address the disconnect between science and society, something RETHINK aims to account for in this study. Traditional roles (e.g., conduits, watchdogs) for science communication professionals might no longer be suitable and sufficient in the current landscape under varying circumstances. Therefore, the aim of this report is to explore the different roles science communicators assume-or should be assuming-to meet the challenges and demands in the contemporary science communication landscape. On the basis of earlier RETHINK research on how science communicators employ innovative techniques to reach underserved audiences, six roles were formulated that can be-and are-adopted by science communication practitioners to enhance their connections with a wider range of audiences: The Broker, creates connections between target audience and actors to obtain access to a target group, links with other actors to supply, involves all actors in dialogue; The Listener, connects to target audience with active listening and empathy and integrates that what is learned in communication activity; The Includer, breaks

Opening up sensemaking practices is a process of importance in the current complexity of the worl... more Opening up sensemaking practices is a process of importance in the current complexity of the world. During this research a high variety of activities were initiated and analysed, and in this deliverable we made an early start of describing how these activities combine into the strategies that open up sensemaking practices. What's more, the reflective practice and exploration of openness was evaluated as significantly valuable by the participating science communicators. Participants stated their efforts during this research had beneficial effects on their communication activities and in connecting with their audiences in a more profound way, and many shared that they would like to continue with experimenting with reflective practice. Therefore, in order to help out science communicators in these efforts, more tools and exemplary practices can be created, and are requested by the science communication community. This contribution is what the last phases of the RETHINK project will...

Deliverable 4.1 provides a roadmap of activities for the seven national hubs of the project. Thes... more Deliverable 4.1 provides a roadmap of activities for the seven national hubs of the project. These hubs, called Rethinkerspaces, will generate a deep and wide overview of 'their' national science communication landscape and act as testbeds and validation mechanisms for the research results of the project. Via their local communities, the Rethinkerspaces will be in charge of creating communities of inquiry to acquire insights into the emerging science communication landscape, map networks, actors, roles and repertoires, contribute to understand sensemaking practices and test a new quality of interactions framework. Besides, they will experiment with new strategies and train other actors in new ways of science communication. The Rethinkerspaces, based in seven European countries (Italy (ZML), the Netherlands (VU), Poland (CSC), Portugal (ITQB NOVA), Serbia (CPN), Sweden (V&A) and the United Kingdom (UWE), will become a learning environment to engage in a collective process of ...

This article contributes to reflective practice amongst scientists who engage with citizens in th... more This article contributes to reflective practice amongst scientists who engage with citizens in the digital public sphere, by exploring the scientists' experiences and underlying perspectives on their role repertoires in online science-society interactions. Semi-structured interviews were held with 26 European scientists to investigate their focus and contribution in boundary interactions, perspective on appropriate model of science communication, and activities, outputs and addressees in the digital public sphere — together comprising a role repertoire. The intended role of scientists often did not match with their deployed repertoire in online interactions with citizens. Participants were left with the feeling that the digital public sphere provides hollow interactions, devaluates scientific expertise or even represents a hostile environment. In order to capitalise on the promise of the digital public sphere for constructive interactions with a diverse public, a reflective prac...

CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research - Zenodo, Apr 8, 2022

The aim of this report is to explore how European citizens make sense of the COVID-19 pandemic. I... more The aim of this report is to explore how European citizens make sense of the COVID-19 pandemic. Inorder to do so, we conducted 81 in-depth interviews with citizens, during the first wave of the pandemic. Participants came from eight European countries: Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Following the Sensemaking Methodology (SMM) developed by Dervin (2008), during these interviews we explored how citizens made sense of so-called micromoments: specific moments in which they stumbled upon questions and uncertainties relating to the pandemic.

Journal of Science Communication

The practice of science communication is fundamentally changing. This requires science communicat... more The practice of science communication is fundamentally changing. This requires science communication practitioners to continuously adapt their practice to an ever-changing ecosystem and highlights the importance of reflective practice for science communication. In this study, we supported 21 science communication practitioners in developing a reflective practice. Our study shows that reflective practice enabled practitioners in becoming aware of their own stance towards science or assumptions regarding audiences (single-loop learning), underlying and sometimes conflicting values or worldviews present in science communication situations (double-loop learning), and facilitated practitioners to adapt their practice accordingly. Triple-loop learning, allowing practitioners to fundamentally rethink and transform their mode of science communication, was less observed. We argue that reflective practice contributes to opening-up public conversations on science — including a conversation on ...

The current science communication ecosystem is highly fragmented, dynamic and complex. This provi... more The current science communication ecosystem is highly fragmented, dynamic and complex. This provides science communicators with both opportunities, but also leads to difficult challenges. The RETHINK project aims to understand the changing landscape of science communication and research, experiment with and develop methods for science communicators to stimulate open, transparent and productive science-society interactions. In the past two and a half years RETHINK has strived to understand this complex ecosystem. Whilst science communicators generally recognize opportunities to strengthen the ties between science and society, many science communication practitioners and scholars involved in the RETHINK project perceive a disconnect between science and society, i.e., a disconnect with their audiences. Four (interrelated) developments play an important role in this disconnect, and have been explored in earlier research by RETHINK. First, the boundaries between science and society have become blurred, confronting the public with a vast amount of information from a variety of sources and as a result, facts are increasingly becoming mixed with opinions and scientific issues are becoming politized. Second, science communication has become heavily digitalized, fundamentally changing the relationship between science and society, leading to new channels and resources for science communication, and facilitating the creation of information about science by a variety of publics online. Third, the rapid proliferation of misinformation and affiliated polarization, magnified by the pandemic's sudden emergence, changes the dynamics between science and society further. Fourth, misconceptions of how citizens make sense of complex science-related problems and the inability to reach all members of society equally when communicating about science are sobering insights for science communication professionals: their practice might not reach their audiences as effectively as thought. The contemporary science communication ecosystem is thus highly complex and science communicators are working to find ways to address the disconnect between science and society, something RETHINK aims to account for in this study. Traditional roles (e.g., conduits, watchdogs) for science communication professionals might no longer be suitable and sufficient in the current landscape under varying circumstances. Therefore, the aim of this report is to explore the different roles science communicators assume-or should be assuming-to meet the challenges and demands in the contemporary science communication landscape. On the basis of earlier RETHINK research on how science communicators employ innovative techniques to reach underserved audiences, six roles were formulated that can be-and are-adopted by science communication practitioners to enhance their connections with a wider range of audiences: The Broker, creates connections between target audience and actors to obtain access to a target group, links with other actors to supply, involves all actors in dialogue; The Listener, connects to target audience with active listening and empathy and integrates that what is learned in communication activity; The Includer, breaks

Opening up sensemaking practices is a process of importance in the current complexity of the worl... more Opening up sensemaking practices is a process of importance in the current complexity of the world. During this research a high variety of activities were initiated and analysed, and in this deliverable we made an early start of describing how these activities combine into the strategies that open up sensemaking practices. What's more, the reflective practice and exploration of openness was evaluated as significantly valuable by the participating science communicators. Participants stated their efforts during this research had beneficial effects on their communication activities and in connecting with their audiences in a more profound way, and many shared that they would like to continue with experimenting with reflective practice. Therefore, in order to help out science communicators in these efforts, more tools and exemplary practices can be created, and are requested by the science communication community. This contribution is what the last phases of the RETHINK project will...

Deliverable 4.1 provides a roadmap of activities for the seven national hubs of the project. Thes... more Deliverable 4.1 provides a roadmap of activities for the seven national hubs of the project. These hubs, called Rethinkerspaces, will generate a deep and wide overview of 'their' national science communication landscape and act as testbeds and validation mechanisms for the research results of the project. Via their local communities, the Rethinkerspaces will be in charge of creating communities of inquiry to acquire insights into the emerging science communication landscape, map networks, actors, roles and repertoires, contribute to understand sensemaking practices and test a new quality of interactions framework. Besides, they will experiment with new strategies and train other actors in new ways of science communication. The Rethinkerspaces, based in seven European countries (Italy (ZML), the Netherlands (VU), Poland (CSC), Portugal (ITQB NOVA), Serbia (CPN), Sweden (V&A) and the United Kingdom (UWE), will become a learning environment to engage in a collective process of ...

This article contributes to reflective practice amongst scientists who engage with citizens in th... more This article contributes to reflective practice amongst scientists who engage with citizens in the digital public sphere, by exploring the scientists' experiences and underlying perspectives on their role repertoires in online science-society interactions. Semi-structured interviews were held with 26 European scientists to investigate their focus and contribution in boundary interactions, perspective on appropriate model of science communication, and activities, outputs and addressees in the digital public sphere — together comprising a role repertoire. The intended role of scientists often did not match with their deployed repertoire in online interactions with citizens. Participants were left with the feeling that the digital public sphere provides hollow interactions, devaluates scientific expertise or even represents a hostile environment. In order to capitalise on the promise of the digital public sphere for constructive interactions with a diverse public, a reflective prac...