Scientists and their motivations for science outreach

Abstract

The past two decades have witnessed a growing interest in encouraging greater interaction between scientists and the public. The ongoing commitment to promoting public engagement with science had its origins in several concerns. For example, as a response to negative public reactions to controversial applications of science, or the need to educate and inspire young people to sustain scientific innovation and secure a science-based workforce. Motivations for science engagement may be summarised as democratisation, education, legitimation, innovation and inspiration. This paper asked whether and how such motivations articulate with the accounts that 14 scientists gave about their experiences o..