Prof. Eric Jensen
CEO and Research Director
Books
Articles
Chapters
Reports
Publications
Books (selected)
Doing research in the real world: 5th Edition
From first planning to writing up your research, this complete guide will help you push your project forward. Walking you through every step you need…
Science communication: An introduction
A concise, coherent and easily readable textbook about the field of science communication, connecting the practice of science communicators with theory. In the book, recent…
Doing real research: A practical guide to social research
Challenging the formality and idealized settings of conventional methods teaching and opting instead for a real world approach to social research, this book offers frank,…
Culture and Social Change: Transforming society through the power of ideas.
This book brings together social sciencists to create an interdisciplinary dialogue on the topic of social change as a cultural process. Culture is as much…
Articles in International Peer-reviewed Journals
In defense of evidence-based policy making
This article discusses Daniel Sarewitz’s perspective on the role and priorities of scientific institutions, especially in their pursuit of funding. Sarewitz questions whether increasing science…
How should socially responsible science be measured? (eLetter)
Novitsky et al.'s (2020) conclusion that EU-funded research insufficiently integrates socially responsible practices and policies is indisputable and important. However, the measurement approach used in…
Re-examining research on motivations and perspectives of scientists relating to public engagement
Rose et al. make a valuable contribution to the literature on scientists’ engagement with publics. Here, I highlight two issues that may help clarify the…
Evidence-based science communication
Effective science communication can empower research and innovation systems to address global challenges and put public interests at the heart of how knowledge is produced,…
Evaluating the impacts of theatre-based wildlife and conservation education at the zoo
The experience of visiting a zoo as a child can be remembered decades later and potentially influences future environmental attitudes. In light of steadily growing…
Preaching to the scientifically converted: Evaluating inclusivity in science festival audiences
Scientific institutions are increasingly embracing values of inclusivity and public engagement, but how do these two dimensions intersect? Science festivals have rapidly expanded in recent…
Quantifying long-term impact of zoo and aquarium visits on biodiversity-related learning outcomes
Zoos and aquariums aim to achieve lasting impact on their public audiences’ awareness of biodiversity, its value, and the steps they can take to conserve…
Putting the methodological brakes on claims to measure national happiness through Twitter: Methodological limitations in social media analytics
With the rapid global proliferation of social media, there has been growing interest in using this existing source of easily accessible ‘big data’ to develop…
Evaluating the impact of a global biodiversity education campaign on zoo and aquarium visitors
Campaigns by zoos, aquariums, and other civil society organizations are an important tool for promoting social changes that benefit the environment. Here, we evaluate a…
Probing the Link between Biodiversity-Related Knowledge and Self-Reported Proconservation Behavior in a Global Survey of Zoo Visitors
Many environmental communication interventions are built on the assumption that increased knowledge will lead to changes in proenvironment behaviors. Our study probes the link between…
Chapters in Edited Books
Promise and pitfalls of audience segmentation in public conservation education
Jensen, A. M. & Jensen, E. A. (in press). Promise and pitfalls of audience segmentation in public conservation education. In E. Jensen (Ed.), Making the most of conservation…
Why We (Still) Do Not Know the Educational Impact of Zoos and Aquariums: Assessing Current Evaluation Methods and Ways to Improve Them
This book summarizes a range of psychological research into how zoos and aquariums operate in the minds of visitors and the broader public. Bringing together…
Why impact evaluation matters in science communication: Or, advancing the science of science communication
Why do we need to communicate science? Is science, with its highly specialised language and its arcane methods, too distant to be understood by the…
Environmental communication
A concise, coherent and easily readable textbook about the field of science communication, connecting the practice of science communicators with theory. In the book, recent…
Informal science education
A concise, coherent and easily readable textbook about the field of science communication, connecting the practice of science communicators with theory. In the book, recent…
The challenges of ‘measuring long-term impacts of a science center on Its community’: A methodological review
This chapter assesses Falk and Needham’s (2011) study of the California Science Center’s long-term impact on the Los Angeles population’s scientific understanding, attitudes, and interests.…
Genetic Futures and the Media
Today, public debate over genetic futures takes place within a new societal context. There is a greater emphasis from policymakers on promoting engagement between sciences…
Extending the Trajectory Equifinality Model’s conceptual methodological toolkit to account for continuous development
Making of the Future is the first English‐language coverage of the new methodological perspective in cultural psychology—TEA (Trajectory Equifinality Approach) that was established in 2004…
Education on Biodiversity in the Polar Regions
The polar regions are famously associated with extreme temperatures, ice, snow, legendary explorers, indigenous people, polar bears, penguins and other impressive fauna and flora. The…
Creativity and culture for all? Enhancing cultural participation in museums and galleries
Museums, galleries, and festival visitors have been the subject of a great deal of research interest in recent years. However, to date little headway has…
Government Reports (selected)
Stakeholder Focus Research: Quantitative findings
As a public body, the Arts Council England aims to maintain effective relationships with both individuals and organisations in the arts and culture sector across…
Stakeholder Focus Research: Qualitative findings
This research investigates stakeholders’ views about the Arts Council as part of a periodic evaluation of attitudes about the Arts Council’s priorities, work, relationships, communication,…
Household Food Security in the UK: A Review of Food Aid Final Report
This report presents findings from a Rapid Evidence Assessment undertaken from February and March 2013. The aim of the research was to arrive at a…
Role of social media-based public dialogue
As social media expand, policymakers and practitioners are increasingly considering what the role of platforms such as Twitter and Facebook should be in informing public…
Upstream public engagement at the zoo
This report describes key findings from a series of concurrent focus groups comprising the Durrell Wildlife Park - Public Participation Meeting (PPM). This PPM is…
Professional Publications (selected)
Linking policy and practice in monitoring socially responsible research and innovation (RRI): A conceptual framework to evaluate progress through the UNESCO-led Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers
This paper sets out a high-level conceptual framework for monitoring the development of socially responsible research and innovation (RRI) systems linked to the global policy…
Introducing cinematic scientific visualization: A new frontier in science communication
With rapid advances in science, data processing, and computer graphics technologies, the line between representations of “real science” and “Hollywood science” is blurring. The film…
South African scientists explain why they make time for science festivals
Science festivals across the world attract millions of visitors every year. They are typically busy, buzzing events: visitors stroll through interactive displays, enjoy science-themed shows…
Has the pandemic changed public attitudes about science?
The article explores how public attitudes toward science and scientists have evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic, as experts and evidence-based approaches took center stage in…
Science in Ireland Barometer 2020 National Survey of Public Attitudes about Science
In 2019, Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) commissioned Qualia Analytics to run the 2020 wave of its public science attitudes survey, the SFI Science in Ireland…
State of the Art of RRI in the Five UNESCO World Regions
The overall project aim is to bring RRI into the linked up global world to promote mutual learning and collaboration in RRI. This will be…
Supporting UNESCO Member States in Evidencing 10 Key Priority Areas – Measures and Indicators for Lithuania, Serbia and South Africa
The UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers (RSSR) sets out a number of globally agreed expectations for national systems of science to anticipate and…
The UNESCO Recommendation on Science and Scientific Researchers will transform working conditions, rights and responsibilities of researchers globally
While national science and innovation public policy is often in flux, truly global science policy initiatives are rare. Such a global initiative gained acceptance in…
For science communication to be effective it should be evidence based
At its best, science communication can empower research and innovation systems to address global challenges. It does this by improving the relationships with stakeholders in…
Mapping of funding for digital projects and skills
Jensen, A. M., Jensen, E. A. & Romain, S. (2017). Mapping of funding for digital projects and skills. Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS):…
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