Erzsebet Frey

Did you know that Canada is home to over 50 species of snakes, both venomous and non-venomous? These slithering creatures have adapted to various habitats across the country, from grasslands to wetlands and forests. While some snakes may pose a threat to humans with their venomous bites, others are harmless and play important roles in maintaining the balance of ecosystems.

Non-Venomous And Venomous Snakes In Canada

DT Cochrane and I look at the network of corporate power behind Canada’s richest families.

Blair Fix

Download: PDF | EPUB
<strong>
 Blair Fix and DT Cochrane
</strong>
Every billionaire is … a factory for producing policy failures at scale. — Cory Doctorow  The planet has a billionaire problem. According to Oxfam, the world’s billionaires have more combined wealth than the bottom 60% of humanity — some 4.6 billion people. Given this obscene situation, calls are growing to rid the world of the billionaire class. But how do we make that happen?

Mapping the Ownership Network of Canada’s Billionaire Families

Alice Fleerackers

::: {.wp-block-image}
<figure class="alignleft size-medium is-resized">
<img
src="https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CS_cover-196x300.jpeg"
class="wp-image-2891" loading="lazy" decoding="async"
srcset="https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CS_cover-196x300.jpeg 196w, https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/CS_cover.jpeg 418w"
sizes="(max-width: 196px) 100vw, 196px" width="196" height="300"
alt="communicating science cover" />
</figure>
:::

*How did modern science communication begin? How has it evolved from one
country to the next? What social, political, and economic forces
inspired those changes? *

Published this week by ANU Press, [*Communicating Science: A Global
Perspective*](https://press.anu.edu.au/publications/communicating-science){rel="noreferrer noopener"
target="_blank"} explores all of these questions and more. The
impressive volume is a collaboration between seven editors and more than
100 authors, including the ScholCommLab's own Michelle Riedlinger
([Queensland University of
Technology](http://www.qut.com/){target="_blank"
rel="noreferrer noopener"}) and [Germana
Barata](http://scholcommlab.ca/people/germana-barata){target="_blank"
rel="noreferrer noopener"} ([Universidade Estadual de
Campinas](http://www.unicamp.br){target="_blank"
rel="noreferrer noopener"}). Featuring stories from 39 countries, it
charts the development of modern science communication across the world,
from Uganda to Singapore, Pakistan to Estonia. 

In celebration of the book's launch, the ScholCommLab spoke with
Michelle and Germana about what *Communicating Science* can tell us
about the past, present, and future of science communication. *** ***

### You're both co-authors (with Alexandre Schiele) of the Canadian chapter. Tell me about the mapping research you did at the ScholCommLab and how it relates to the book.  {#youre-both-co-authors-with-alexandre-schiele-of-the-canadian-chapter.-tell-me-about-the-mapping-research-you-did-at-the-scholcommlab-and-how-it-relates-to-the-book. .wp-block-heading}

**Michelle Riedlinger:** I was a member of the [Science Writers and
Communicators of Canada](http://sciencewriters.ca){target="_blank"
rel="noreferrer noopener"} and I was helping to organize some local SWCC
events in British Columbia. One of the other event organizers was a
member of the SWCC Board and she talked about the recent name change of
the organization from the Canadian Science Writers Association to the
Science Writers and Communicators of Canada. She said that the
organization was seeing changes in membership, and also seeing that
science communication was exploding online. We got together with the
SWCC President at the time, Tim Lougheed, and decided, with
[Germana](http://scholcommlab.ca/people/germana-barata){target="_blank"
rel="noreferrer noopener"}---who was already focused on mapping work and
was a visiting scholar in the ScholCommLab at the time---that it might
be a good idea to map online science communication in Canada. 

Where do we see science communication online? Who's doing it, how are
they doing it, and what are their values? These initial questions
sparked what would become a [three-year-long
project](https://www.scholcommlab.ca/research/science-communication/){rel="noreferrer noopener"
target="_blank"} exploring online science communicators in Canada---and
eventually this helped us write the Canadian chapter. We'd already been
looking at science communication in Canada, so it was a nice easy step
to then think: Alright, this is where we are. Now, where did we come
from?

------------------------------------------------------------------------

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large">
<img
src="https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Riedlinger-at-SWCC-2017-conf-1024x681.jpg"
class="wp-image-3590" loading="lazy" decoding="async"
srcset="https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Riedlinger-at-SWCC-2017-conf-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Riedlinger-at-SWCC-2017-conf-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Riedlinger-at-SWCC-2017-conf-768x511.jpg 768w, https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Riedlinger-at-SWCC-2017-conf.jpg 1405w"
sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" width="1024" height="681"
alt="Michelle Riedlinger at the SWCC Annual Conference" />
<figcaption>Michelle Riedlinger (second from left) with participants at
SWCC’s conference.</figcaption>
</figure>

**Germana Barata:** The project was a great opportunity to use
altmetrics---social media metrics or the social attention to scientific
content on online platforms---as a tool to track self-identified science
communicators on Twitter. We located science papers shared by Twitter
users geolocated in Canada who used keywords related to science
communication on their mini-bios, in either English or French. It is
interesting that a mere translation of keywords wasn't enough to find
science communicators in French and English, so we had to define
specific keywords for each group and the keywords related to different
concepts of science communication. Although limited, the method appeared
to work well to locate active science communicators on social media. 

### What did the project teach you about Canada's science communication landscape?  {#what-did-the-project-teach-you-about-canadas-science-communication-landscape .wp-block-heading}

**GB:** The mapping project showed us that there is an enriching
community of science communicators using social media to communicate
science to society---most of whom are self-taught and do not earn a
living with science communication but believe that is it important to
reach broader audiences. The majority were engaged women, which was a
positive result. I was also impressed with the quality and variety of
strategies that everyone is practising, with a strong presence of
environmental and health issues, as well as science and art approaches. 

<figure class="wp-block-pullquote">
<blockquote>
<p>“social media is a place where originality, culture, and regionality
stands out and where everyone may find a niche for their communication
efforts.”</p>
<p>Germana Barata</p>
</blockquote>
</figure>

My home, Brazil, is a huge country with intense, creative activities in
science communication. My work in Canada made me realize that social
media is a place where originality, culture, and regionality stands out
and where everyone may find a niche for their communication efforts. It
made me look to my country with more optimism. 

::: {.wp-block-image}
<figure class="alignleft size-medium is-resized">
<img
src="https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Captura-de-Tela-2020-09-14-às-16.23.50-300x300.png"
class="wp-image-3592" decoding="async"
srcset="https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Captura-de-Tela-2020-09-14-às-16.23.50-300x300.png 300w, https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Captura-de-Tela-2020-09-14-às-16.23.50-150x150.png 150w, https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Captura-de-Tela-2020-09-14-às-16.23.50.png 751w"
sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" width="500" />
<figcaption>Discussing science communication and social media at the
2018 SWCC Annual Conference | Left to right: Samantha Yammine, Theresa
Liao, Germana Barata, Alexandre Schiele, Kurtis Baute, Amy Kingdon and
Tim Lougheed.</figcaption>
</figure>
:::

### Tell me more about the Canadian chapter. What makes our science communication story unique? {#tell-me-more-about-the-canadian-chapter.-what-makes-our-science-communication-story-unique .wp-block-heading}

**MR**: Canada's really interesting to write about. It's an unusual
country in terms of being bilingual, with the US as its closest neighbor
and also having colonial influences. A lot of Canadian science
communication activities and processes have been influenced by what is
happening in the US, but with a distinct Canadian flavor. For example,
the SWCC came out of a branch of the US: [The National Association of
Science Writers](https://www.nasw.org/){target="_blank"
rel="noreferrer noopener"} (NASW). That US group started in 1934 and is
still going strong today. Canadians could be members of the NASW, but in
the late 60s they decided that they wanted to have their own
association. In fact, it is SWCC's 50th anniversary this year. Like
NASW, SWCC maintains a focus on advocating for quality science writing
but they also recognize that a huge range of professionals communicate
about science and also need a professional networking organization. In
other countries, professional science communication groups have always
included press officers and science outreach professionals---they didn't
start exclusively as science journalism associations.  

### You mentioned Canada's bilingualism. How has that influenced its science communication story? {#you-mentioned-canadas-bilingualism.-how-has-that-influenced-its-science-communication-story .wp-block-heading}

**MR:** Quebec has a substantial section of its own in our chapter
because they have their own science communication story to tell. We
didn't see a lot of overlap of cultural institutions. We see Canada's
two cultures distinctly in the history of its science communication.
English-speaking Canada definitely has colonial UK influences: ideas
around science participation and dialogic communication. But in French
Canada, to be a cultural citizen means being cultured in science---so a
lot of Canada science communication "firsts" happened in Quebec. The
first radio program focused on science, the first Masters and PhD
graduates in science communication, and the first national conference on
science communication all happened there. Canada's National Science Week
also started in Quebec. So, over the years, we see this strong
connection between science and culture, or science and society, heavily
supported by the Quebec government. I think that is a really interesting
difference.*** ***

### How has Canada's science communication landscape evolved over time?  {#how-has-canadas-science-communication-landscape-evolved-over-time .wp-block-heading}

**GB:** Science communication used to be dominated by men---by
scientists, at first, but increasingly by science journalists.
Fortunately, the internet and social media have opened windows of
opportunity to a more varied, multidisciplinary, and multimedia
community that has dropped the need for mediators to bridge science and
society. Fighting denialism and fake news have shown us that we need a
growing active community of science communicators and that to empower
them we should be able to provide them with more training, funds, and
visibility. They are doing an amazing job.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

<figure class="wp-block-pullquote">
<blockquote>
<p>“Fighting denialism and fake news have shown us that we need a
growing active community of science communicators and that to empower
them we should be able to provide them with more training, funds, and
visibility.”</p>
<p>Germana Barata</p>
</blockquote>
</figure>

### Michelle, you were also an editor for the book itself. Did that process reveal a lot of similarities in terms of how science communication stories developed in different countries? {#michelle-you-were-also-an-editor-for-the-book-itself.-did-that-process-reveal-a-lot-of-similarities-in-terms-of-how-science-communication-stories-developed-in-different-countries .wp-block-heading}

::: {.wp-block-image}
<figure class="alignright size-full is-resized">
<img
src="https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Captura-de-Tela-2020-09-14-às-16.23.17.png"
class="wp-image-3594" decoding="async"
srcset="https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Captura-de-Tela-2020-09-14-às-16.23.17.png 752w, https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Captura-de-Tela-2020-09-14-às-16.23.17-300x300.png 300w, https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Captura-de-Tela-2020-09-14-às-16.23.17-150x150.png 150w"
sizes="(max-width: 752px) 100vw, 752px" width="500" />
<figcaption>Left to right: Amy Kingdon, Tim Lougheed, Germana Barata,
Samantha Yammine, Kurtis Baute, and Michelle Riedlinger | Pictured at
the 2018 Science Writers and Communicators Annual
Conference</figcaption>
</figure>
:::

**MR:** As an editor, I was excited to read about science communication
happening in the other countries and how diverse it was---but also to
get a sense of where there was cohesiveness. One common thread was
government support and funding. This has always been a driver of science
communication. For example, after World War II we saw a big push for
science by governments in many countries. And science communication has
followed this government or national investment in science and
technology in many instances.

I was also interested in the political, cultural, economic forces in
different countries and what those forces meant in terms of driving
science communication. In places like the Netherlands, for example, the
idea of a collective social system really shaped how science
communication developed. Ideas around participatory science
communication have been imported from the Netherlands to the UK and then
carried on into many other countries.

### It's a strange time for science, and for science communication. Does the book offer a sense of where science communication might be headed next? {#its-a-strange-time-for-science-and-for-science-communication.-does-the-book-offer-a-sense-of-where-science-communication-might-be-headed-next .wp-block-heading}

**MR:** I hear people in the science communication community talk about
how science communication has "failed" us or that science communication
is in "crisis." But what's really lovely about reading this book is
seeing that science communication is always innovating. There have been
crises throughout our modern history, but science communication is
always changing, bringing in new people and skills, and responding to
the social, political, and economic circumstances that we're in. There's
no endpoint.

Another thing that this project confirmed for me was the importance of
online science communication for the field. A lot of people are doing
online work with very few resources, and I think one of the things that
governments, professional associations, and research organizations can
do is to better support them. If we're keen to celebrate good science
communication in the field, then we need to look at what people in the
community value---and it's happening online.

<figure class="wp-block-pullquote">
<blockquote>
<p>“There have been crises throughout our modern history, but science
communication is always changing, bringing in new people and skills, and
responding to the social, political, and economic circumstances that
we’re in. There’s no endpoint.”</p>
<p>Michelle Riedlinger</p>
</blockquote>
</figure>

### What are some takeaways you hope the book leaves readers with? {#what-are-some-takeaways-you-hope-the-book-leaves-readers-with .wp-block-heading}

**GB:** I'm happy that this important book is open access, so that it
may impact the science communication community worldwide. With access to
all chapters, we can be inspired by different practices but also value
the particularities of every nation. Science communication efforts can
involve different motivations, publics, and actions according to the
scenario, culture, and policy it is exposed to. It is an important
publication for students and practitioners of science communication---a
resource to help communicators identify with our huge, international
community as well as better understand the influences of our practice.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large">
<img
src="https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/fig0304-1024x683.jpg"
class="wp-image-3597" loading="lazy" decoding="async"
srcset="https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/fig0304-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/fig0304-300x200.jpg 300w, https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/fig0304-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.scholcommlab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/fig0304.jpg 1287w"
sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" width="1024" height="683"
alt="Researchers in New Zealand discuss the mauri of Te Kete Poutama within Waitaha Ariki Kore, ancestral house of Tohia o te Rangi marae, Kawerau. Left to right: Colleen Skerrett-White, Tomairangi Fox and Dan Hikuroa, November 2011. Photo courtesy of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, via ANU Press" />
<figcaption aria-hidden="true">Researchers in New Zealand discuss the
mauri of Te Kete Poutama within Waitaha Ariki Kore, ancestral house of
Tohia o te Rangi marae, Kawerau. Left to right: Colleen Skerrett-White,
Tomairangi Fox and Dan Hikuroa, November 2011. Photo courtesy of Ngā Pae
o te Māramatanga, via ANU Press</figcaption>
</figure>

**MR**: I don't think this is the kind of book that readers will read
from cover to cover. I think they will dip in and out of it. But I'd
like to think that readers will leave this book thinking about what they
might do within their own sphere of influence to support innovative
science communication. I'm thinking about governance, government and
commercial support, and community action. I think this book also
highlights science communication's roles in benefiting communities,
because science communication isn't an end in itself. It does work for
our communities and societies. For me, the stories of collective action
in this book are something to celebrate. I'd say they might inspire a
way forward.

Another thing I love in this book is the focus on the interaction
between scientific knowledge and Indigenous knowledge in many nations.
The New Zealand chapter is a wonderful example, with stories about Maori
science and what researchers are learning through it. But there are big
challenges too. For example, the South African chapter describes the
challenges associated with creating a scientifically literate society
while juggling government priorities, Indigenous knowledge systems, and
modern science. I think a focus on diversity, of values and peoples,
will only increase for science communication. This is one of the things
that came out of the mapping work: many young science communicators
working online are advocating for a more diverse science and technology
community, and this includes a more diverse science communication field.
I think that's a wonderful direction for our community.

***Communicating Science: A Global Perspective* (2020) is available
for** [**purchase or free
download**](http://doi.org/10.22459/CS.2020){rel="noreferrer noopener"
target="_blank"} **from** **ANU Press**. Celebrate its [**digital
launch**](https://www.pcst.network/webinars/){rel="noreferrer noopener"
target="_blank"} **on September 15 (1-2 PM London UK time).**


*How did modern science communication begin? How has it evolved from one country to the next? What social, political, and economic forces inspired those changes? *  Published this week by ANU Press,
<em>
 Communicating Science: A Global Perspective
</em>
explores all of these questions and more.

Communicating science: New book explores science communication across the globe

Europe PMC Team

::: {dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"}
<div>

[The PubMed Central International
([PMCI](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/about/pmci/)) network is a
collaborative effort between the PMCI repositories, publishers, and
funding organisations that wish to preserve and provide free access to
journal articles authored by the researchers they support. For many
years, the PMCI network has consisted of three nodes, [PMC
USA](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/), [Europe
PMC](http://europepmc.org/) and [PMC
Canada](http://pubmedcentralcanada.ca/pmcc/). As of the 23rd February
2018, this network will reduced to two nodes following the decision by
the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and the National
Research Council (NRC) to close down PMC
Canada.]{style="color: #444444; font-family: \"arial\" , \"helvetica\" , sans-serif;"}

</div>

<div>

[  
]{style="color: #444444; font-family: \"arial\" , \"helvetica\" , sans-serif;"}

</div>

<div>

[Europe PMC is committed to the PMCI collaboration, and will continue to
provide a world-class service, as it has done for the past decade, with
funds secured until 2021. The funding of Europe PMC is shared across
twenty eight international life science [funding
organisations](http://europepmc.org/Funders/), providing a resilient
sustainability model for this key research infrastructure
(1).]{style="color: #444444; font-family: \"arial\" , \"helvetica\" , sans-serif;"}

</div>

<div>

[  
]{style="color: #444444; font-family: \"arial\" , \"helvetica\" , sans-serif;"}

</div>

<div>

[The European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), which runs Europe
PMC, and the NCBI, which runs PMC USA, have a long history of
collaboration in the provision of open life sciences data resources,
starting with the International Nucleotide Sequence Database
Collaboration ([INSDC](http://www.insdc.org/)). The PMCI network is
well-aligned with these resources, and plays an integral part in
fulfilling our shared goals to enable international open
science.]{style="color: #444444; font-family: \"arial\" , \"helvetica\" , sans-serif;"}

</div>

<div>

[  
]{style="color: #444444; font-family: \"arial\" , \"helvetica\" , sans-serif;"}

</div>

<div>

[(1).
<https://www.biorxiv.org/content/early/2017/04/27/110825>]{style="color: #444444; font-family: \"arial\" , \"helvetica\" , sans-serif;"}

</div>
:::


[The PubMed Central International (PMCI) network is a collaborative effort between the PMCI repositories, publishers, and funding organisations that wish to preserve and provide free access to journal articles authored by the researchers they support. For many years, the PMCI network has consisted of three nodes, PMC USA, Europe PMC and PMC Canada.

PubMed Central Canada is retiring: response from Europe PMC

::: {dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"}
[![](https://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ar3qGQzTnrE/SvA19w2MOsI/AAAAAAAAACo/Or9tSYXA9Gc/s200/pmc_logo_145x75_t.gif){#BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399875288417712834
decoding="async" border="0"
style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 75px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 145px;"}](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ar3qGQzTnrE/SvA19w2MOsI/AAAAAAAAACo/Or9tSYXA9Gc/s1600-h/pmc_logo_145x75_t.gif)[PubMed
Central Canad](http://pubmedcentralcanada.ca/)a is now live.

PMC Canada is a partnership between the National Research Council's
[Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical
Information](http://cisti-icist.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/ibp/cisti.html)
(NRC-CISTI), the [Canadian Institutes of Health
Research](http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/193.html) (CIHR), and the US
[National Library of Medicine](http://www.nlm.nih.gov/) (NLM)

PMC Canada is the second [PMC
International](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/about/pmci.html) site to
be established.
:::


PubMed Central Canada is now live.  PMC Canada is a partnership between the National Research Council’s Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (NRC-CISTI), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the US National Library of Medicine (NLM)  PMC Canada is the second PMC International site to be established.

PMC Canada

::: {dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"}
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research
([CIHR](http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/193.html)), the National Research
Council's Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information
([NRC-CISTI),](http://cisti-icist.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/eng/ibp/cisti.html) and
the US National Library of Medicine (NLM) have
[announced](http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/39788.html) a three-way
partnership to establish PubMed Central Canada (PMC Canada).

"PMC Canada is a powerful tool that will help researchers build upon one
another's work and speed up the discovery and innovation process to
address important health challenges," says Dr. Ian Graham,
Vice-President of Knowledge Translation at CIHR. "It will provide quick
and easy access to a much broader audience, increasing the value and
application of CIHR-funded research."

PMC Canada builds on the successful PubMed Central (PMC) archive
developed by the US National Library of Medicine and will join UK PubMed
Central ([UKPMC](http://ukpmc.ac.uk/)) as a member of the broader PMC
International network. This network enables national versions of PMC to
share content, and will make much of PubMed Central and UKPMC content
accessible through PMC Canada.

The initial release of PMC Canada, to be available in fall 2009, will
include a basic bilingual interface, a manuscript submission system for
CIHR researchers and a bilingual help desk. An advisory committee of
Canadian health researchers and other stakeholders will guide PMC
Canada's future development.
:::


The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the National Research Council’s Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (NRC-CISTI), and the US National Library of Medicine (NLM) have announced a three-way partnership to establish PubMed Central Canada (PMC Canada).  “PMC Canada is a powerful tool that will help researchers build upon one another’s work and speed up the discovery and innovation process to address important

Messaggi di Rogue Scholar

Non-Venomous And Venomous Snakes In Canada

Mapping the Ownership Network of Canada’s Billionaire Families

Communicating science: New book explores science communication across the globe

PubMed Central Canada is retiring: response from Europe PMC

PMC Canada

PMC Canada — will launch in Autumn 2009