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Honors Program Organic Chemistry
Inorganic Chemistry Biochemistry Physical Chemistry
General Chemistry
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Research
An Analysis of How Science Research is Transformed by the Media Holly Vande Wall and A. Truman Schwartz
Chemical research presents tremendous difficulties in the communication of complex technical results to those not directly involved in the research. In order to acquaint a wider audience with the excitement and significance of new discoveries the results have to be simplified, explained and put into a larger context. The mechanics and quality of this process are the subject of this study. To analyze the way this translation takes place, examples of research which have received considerable exposure in the press were chosen, and articles referring to the research were located and examined. The articles include the original publication by the research group and documents referring to the research from a broad spectrum of sources, ranging from science journals through "respected" news sources, to newsletters with obvious agendas. The hope is that this investigation will yield information on the process of interpreting scientific findings for the general public and offer suggestions on how to avoid misinterpretations. |
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