Good Science Needs Good Reporting

Today's major research universities routinely “buy” scientists to help turn their most promising research programs into world-class ones. Why, then, after spending so much money to woo these big time scientists and their research entourages, don't more institutions do a better job of telling the world about the success of their research activities? Of course, many universities do try to publicize their researchers' work. But few devote as much attention to promoting re search resul

Written byEarle Holland
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Today's major research universities routinely “buy” scientists to help turn their most promising research programs into world-class ones. Why, then, after spending so much money to woo these big time scientists and their research entourages, don't more institutions do a better job of telling the world about the success of their research activities? Of course, many universities do try to publicize their researchers' work. But few devote as much attention to promoting re search results as they should or could. In many cases, the institutions are so attuned to wishes of the research faculty that they unwittingly miss out on chances to profit from the researchers' work. When the surge in science communications began in the late 1970s and early 1980s with the birth of a host of science and technology magazines and weekly science newspaper sections, many colleges and universities suddenly added science writers to their public information staffs. ...

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