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10 ways to improve science coverage
Over in the UK, fallout from the News International phone hacking scandal has led to in-depth ongoing questions about the ethical obligations of journalists and their role in society.
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The Leveson Inquiry, launched late last year, is charged with scrutiny of the "culture, practices and ethics of the media", and has included an examination of best-practice in science and health journalism.
Fiona Fox, director of the UK SMC, led the submission of proposed Guidelines for Science and Health Reporting. In a blog post last month, she said participation in the inquiry has provided an opportunity to imagine and aspire to:
"- a world where news editors defer to their science specialists on all science stories;
- a world where headlines have to accurately represent the content of the story below them; ...
- a world where journalists see extraordinary and shocking claims from preliminary new studies as a 'handle with care' issue to be reported on the inside pages with the necessary caveats;
- a world where truth telling journalism means reporting where the weight of evidence lies rather than balancing every scientific opinion with an opposing view;
-a world where any codes on accuracy apply to comment and opinion as well as news; ..."
For some of these ideals, that world seems incredibly far away. In New Zealand, just having an adequately-resourced science specialist in every major newsroom would be a big step forward!
But by taking steps to put as many of the guidelines into daily practice as possible, reporters can make serious and immediate strides towards improving the quality and relevance of science and health coverage.
The guidelines in a nutshell:
- State the source of the story
- Describe the size and nature of studies
- Evidence for causation or just a link?
- State what stage research is at, timeframes for treatment
- Use absolute risk
- Frame findings with context
- Quote more than one scientist; be wary of hype
- Separate findings from interpretation or extrapolation
- Don't call it a 'cure' if it's not
- Headlines should not mislead
Click here to read guidelines in full.To access other resources for media, scroll down to the tool box at the bottom of our website. |
Algal bloom carbon sink re-evaluated
A European study has found that iron-fertilised algal blooms near the Antarctic can absorb carbon from the atmosphere and carry it down into the oceans depths.
 The research, published this week in Nature, counters previous findings which suggested that algal blooms were not an effective carbon sink.
By adding iron to sections of the iron deficient SouthernOcean, researchers in the European Iron Fertilization Experiment (EIFEX) boosted the growth of phytoplankton which absorbed carbon for the atmosphere through photosynthesis.
The scientists were also able to show that much of this carbon was sunk - in the form of dead phytoplankton - to a depth of 1000m or more in the ocean, suggesting that carbon would be removed from the atmosphere for several centuries.
Fertilising blooms as a form of geoengineering to remove carbon from the atmosphere is not a new idea. Kiwi researchers had previously carried out similar experiments but found the resulting carbon absorption was unpredictable at best, casting doubt on the method's usefulness. They were awarded the Prime Minister's Science Prize in 2011 for their efforts.
Dr Philip Boyd of NIWA was one of the recipients, and, commenting on the new research, he told the SMC:
"It's 'location, location, location... Not all blooms are made equal. This bloom is an end-member [in an eddy] where conditions permitted a very efficient export of material to the deep ocean.
"Other blooms export much less material - such as our SERIES bloom that Cliff Law and I led in the Pacific in the early 2000's
"I don' think this changes anything in the geoengineering debate. What we need to better understand is what controls the export efficiency of different blooms.
You can find more info and further expert commentary on the Science Media Centre website. |
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On the science radar...
Exhausting squid sex, space mice, heroic physics, Neanderthal dentistry, Fukushima fallout and the smell of rain.
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UK Government to go Open Access
The UK government has made a commitment that all publicly funded research should be published under an open access model, with no paywalls preventing academics, businesses or the public from reading the research.
The UK Government announced this week that it will widely accept the recommendations in a commissioned report on open access by Dame Janet Finch. The move is likely to see a major increase in the number of taxpayer funded research papers freely available to the public.
The high level of collaboration and co-authorship between New Zealand and UK researchers means that it is likely more NZ research will also be published under the open access banner.
Responding to the announcement, Dame Finch commented:
"Exploiting the power of the internet to make the latest research findings accessible to everyone who has an interest in them - from business to voluntary organisations and 'citizen scientists' - is critically important for a vibrant economy and a healthy society."
Read more commentary, collected by the UK SMC, here.
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Quoted: New Zealand Herald
"However, Niwa, unlike the plaintiff, submits that the court is not the appropriate forum to resolve such scientific disputes."
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| Podcast: Science on trial
 On the Sciblogs podcast this week, we head to the High Court where climate sceptics have this week been seeking a judicial review of NIWA's climate records.
We catch up with Sciblogger Gareth Renowden about the case and we talk to former NIWA climate scientist Jim Renwick about the current state of climate science and what it is telling us about the extent of warming on a global scale.
We also talk to Dr Melanie Massaro about her paper Trapped in the postdoctoral void and her concern at what she considers to be an oversupply of doctoral students in the New Zealand education system.
You can stream the podcast by clicking here, or subscribe in iTunes or via RSS. You can even listen to the podcast on your phone via Stitcher.com
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New from the SMC
Experts respond:
Geoengineering: Algal blooms have been re-evaluated as carbon sinks following new research examining iron fertilised blooms in the Southern Ocean. Open access: Experts respond the UK government's commitment to ensure that all publicly funded research will be published under an open access model.
Sports claims lacking: The claims of sports products, such as drinks and footwear, suffer from a " striking lack of evidence" according to a new analysis of magazine advertising.
In the News:
Green zone: Christchurch researchers have retrospectively analysed the the important role trees and greenspaces played during the Canterbury quakes. Avian malaria in NZ: The first researchers to document key characteristics for the success of invading parasites in birds have also cast new light on the spread of avian malaria in New Zealand.
Lazy kiwis? New research comparing national rates of physical inactivity has seen New Zealanders - ranked 27 out of 122 nations - labelled as 'lazy' by the media, but are we really that slack? Reflections on Science: Salinger on climate: In the Dominion Post climate scientist Prof Jim Salinger writes about the climate record he helped to create - which is now the subject of a High Court case.
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Sciblogs highlights
Some of the highlights from this week's posts:
The Flynn Effect and closing the IQ gap - Toby Hendy, Katikati College student and winner of the 2012 Eureka Symposium Secondary School orator's award guest blogs about the pitfalls of intelligence testing. Guest Work
FBI admits flaws in forensic science evidence - how about NZ? - Bad science can tip the scales of justice, blogs Anna Sandiford, but will NZ follow the US in admitting it?
Forensic Scientist
Roll up, roll up, the ATI is going to be bigger than Ben Hur - Peter Kerr runs the ruler over the details in the government's recent announcements on the planned Advanced Technology Institute.
sticK
Singapore's Stupendous Supertrees - Alison Campbell Biology Olympiad trip to Singapore is punctuated by some impressive 'trees'.
Bio Blog
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Research highlights
Please note: hyperlinks point, where possible, to the relevant abstract or paper.
Turn the red zone green: Christchurch researchers have retrospectively analysed the Canterbury quakes from the perspective of urban forest management, highlighting the important role trees and greenspaces played during the earthquakes. They also explore the many the challenges of re-planting in the 'Garden City', noting that "if Christchurch's greenspaces are to be improved in the aftermath of the earthquakes, it will be the result of government policy."
Urban Forestry & Urban Greening
SCOPE-ing out preterm birth: The Screening of Pregnancy Endpoints (SCOPE) study of more than 3000 pregnant women in Auckland and Adelaide has identified the most common risk factors for preterm birth. While the study identified some risk factors such as use of marijuana pre-pregnancy, being of Caucasian ethnicity or having a mother with diabetes or a history of preeclampsia, the researchers note that preterm birth is difficult to predict and can occur through different mechanisms.
PLoS ONE
Seachange for living healthy: A new study has revealed that people living near the coast tend to have better health than those living inland. UK Researchers used census data to examine how health varied across the country, finding that people were more likely to have good health the closer they live to the sea. The analysis also showed that the link between living near the coast and good health was strongest in the most economically deprived communities.
Health & Place
Father employment linked to birth defect risk: Several types of job carried out by future fathers may be linked to an increased risk of birth defects in their babies, suggests new research. A study of 5000 births found that men working as artists, photographers, landscapers, petrol and gas workers in the three month before conception have a higher risk of having a child with a birth defect.
Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Beyond BMI: A new way of measuring obesity, called a Body Shape Index (ABSI) combines the existing Body Mass Index (BMI) and the girth of your waist circumference. Combined, the measurements give a much better correlation with death rates than do either of the measurements individually. "Power-law scaling of waist circumference, weight, and other body measurements can be used to develop body shape indices that point to added risk," researchers say.
PLoS ONE
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Policy updates
Some of the policy highlights from this week:
New Landcare Chair: Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce today announced that the CRI Landcare Research's Deputy Chair Peter Schuyt has taken over as Chair following the retirement of Jo Brosnahan.
Legal high onus to be reversed: Cabinet has agreed key details of new psychoactive substances drug legislation that will require distributors and producers of party pills and other legal highs to prove they are safe before they can sell them,
New MBIE Science Chair: Dr John Hay has been appointed as the new Chair of the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment Science Board. Dr Hay replaces Professor Sir David Skegg who resigned from the Board following his appointment as President of the Royal Society of New Zealand. |
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Upcoming sci-tech events
For these and more upcoming events, and more details about them, visit the SMC's Events Calendar. |
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