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Permalink Reply by Siddhartha Shankar Ray on May 31, 2014 at 4:00

Dear sri Surajit,

Popular Science Communication is a way to explain scientific issues of interest to lay men; to bring Science to common people. This is sort of a specific form of what is called "Repackaging of Information".

A very common instance of its form as experienced by almost all of us in our daily life is when we see Doctors discussing among themselves about a patient's condition and then talk back to us to report us patient's condition. You might have noticed that when they discuss among them, we just look around them and usually try to assess the situation from their facial expressions as we hardly understand the jargon and technical terms they use mostly during their discussions; sporadically we hear some terms those are known to us though and often they add to more confusion in our mind!!. However  when they talk to us in languages understandable to us that is, in plain language, we realise the situation. 

You might have notices that often Sri Pathik Guha writes on scientific issues in the Bengali fortnightly magazine DESH or might have watched Dr.Amalendu Banerjee's talk on on TV about reasons  of Meteor shower a few years ago... They are forms of Popular Science Communication.

There was a monthly journal named Science Reported published by CSIR. Its subscription used to be Rs. 10/- annually. The journal ceased publication from mid-90's as I can recall. They used to publish articles on Scientific issues understandable for common people. 

Popular Science communication carries an important societal role as well! We have many superstitions, taboos and orthodox beliefs. Here such science communications often play great roles to eliminate the wrong beliefs.

Lastly, there is a very nice book in this issue Presenting Science to the Public by Barbara Gastel. The book was originally published by ISI Press, Philadelphia in 1983. I have a personal copy of the book with me, (it was a presentation from the ISI's owner Gene Garfield and it is one of the most cherished items in my collection!)This book is presently availabe in Wiley Online Library.

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta

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Permalink Reply by Surajit on June 1, 2014 at 15:47

Sir,

its so lucid to understand with the example which you raised here.  Now I can understand the actual concept. Now the question arised that how this popular sc communication practiced in our LIS dicipline, i.e. what our LIS field contribute to  this popular sc communication? Is LIS is a bridging gap between the science community and the general pupil?

thanking you for your valuable sharing you are made with us...

Surajit.

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Permalink Reply by Siddhartha Shankar Ray on June 8, 2014 at 6:37

Dear Sri Surajit,

Thanks for your mail. Sorry for the belated reply but actually I was away from Kolkata for a week.

Regarding your query, my first reaction is please see whether such activities is a felt necessity?

Because writing science for children is no child's play!!

It needs both excellent knowledge & education of the subjects concerned & excellent flair for writing through short sentences comprising simple often used mono syllable words.

You can easily find from the previous sentence how many adjectives I had to use as I tried to explain the issue!!

Regarding the second part of your query; well, yes; libraries (can) often play extremely viable connecting role between the lab & mass!!. Unfortunately in our country neither the Library community nor the society accepts such ventures straightway!!

[You may find many academically misfit persons in various scientific &/or other Higher academic  institutions (me being one such instance!!).

In an instance of OTHER WAY AROUND, in USA, in the field of Medical Librarianship, there is a particular type of Librarians/ librarianship called CML or Clinical Medical Librarians/Librarianship & there is a concept called "LATCH" meaning Literature Attached To Charts. Here in CML, the Librarian remains one of the  members of teams of Doctors visiting the patients. The LATCH is the service rendered by the Librarian. During the discussions of the visiting teams, the Librarians takes note of relevant information pertaining to the patient's treatment. S/he then goes to her/his Library, collects the relevant literature and attach those literature to the Doctors' patients' Charts at their bedside. However, in our country, a person with masters in Vernaculars can easily become Chief Librarians in Medical Institutes and persons with Ph.D. in LIS with topics relating to impact of libraries to promote reading habits of primary standard School Children can easily become University Librarian!! ]

From my personal experience I can tell without reservation that subject orientation does matter!! and especially in the field of Applied Sciences of course if you want to do some professional work beyond Pay scales & status!!.( I apologise for the above comment but it is a bare fact that many of us keep ourselves content with such issues only & that too in many cases, without contributing efforts, time & money. The appeal published in this forum from WBCLA asking for donation substantiates my statement though!!)

So you see, libraries can play a vital role in science communication in the form of Community Awareness. As I can recall, one of my papers published in College Library, the journal of WBCLA in 1992/3 on CAIP: Community Awareness Information Programme as a part of information service by College Librarians.

I have no hesitation though to confess that my paper was not at all presentable in today's cyber competent academia, but the situation nearly quarter of a century ago had been entirely different & for this reason only as I still presume, many College Librarians of those days liked my paper. Admittedly, there was not such abundance of M.Phils & PH.Ds in College Libraries in those days & this might have been one of the primary reasons  of their feeling.

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta

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Permalink Reply by Surajit on September 30, 2014 at 20:21

hello sir,

at first i want to wish a very happy sarodiya to u and ur family ahead.. If u r from kolkata then u r alrdy started enojoying it...

2ndly this is 2 inform u that i had gone through the article (currnt science) u suggsted..I understood that popular sc is basicaly a communication betwen the scints n d target community.. that article hlps me to draw an idea abt the topic...thnk u very much sir..

sir i found a another term "open science'... what is that?

Surajit

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Permalink Reply by Siddhartha Shankar Ray on October 7, 2014 at 20:36

Dear Sri Surajit,

Thanks for your post. I convey Warm Vijaya Greetings to you. I had been busy with Durga Puja at our home and could not find time to switch on my Computer for nearly a week!!

Regarding your query on Open Science, this is summarily, an activity whereby people can get access to literature of Scientific Research. You know that earlier there was a concept called "Invisible College" Open Science has broadened its reach beyond Scientific/Research fraternity. The Open Source or Open Access movements are ultimate results of Open Science activities. You can get a holistic idea about it from Wikipedia site.

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta

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