July 6th, EXPO2000
Swedish Pavilion
Europa-Boulevard 50B
Hanover, Germany
0930-1700

REPORTING AND COMMUNICATING FROM THE SCIENTIFIC FRONTIER
- new interfaces between scientists and journalists: international expert networks and news services promoting public understanding of science.

AUDIENCE: news reporters, science journalists, scientists, R&D- and science oriented public information officers, and other professionals with an interest in public understanding of science.

0930: DROP-IN; REGISTRATION
Pre-registered attendees will have priority access to the seminar. Unconfirmed attendees will be allowed seats in terms of availability.

0940: INTRODUCTION
Hostess: Malin Winbladh, Safari, Swedish Agency for Higher Education Moderator: Michel Bajuk, Kairos Future. Research Director, Swedish Expert Network Fellowships.

0950: ENABLING THE KNOWLEDGE DRIVEN ECONOMY WITH PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE (click here to see presentation)
Dr David Nordfors, Managing Partner, Baz Associates, Tel Aviv, Israel & Stockholm, Sweden. Project Director, Swedish Expert Network Fellowships.
ABSTRACT: Creating a new arena for knowledge competition in the media: How internet-enabled intermediaries and research tools between journalists and scientists can empower democracy, boost technology transfer and convergence of technology, and help to catalyse cross-disciplinary science through public dissemination of science.

PRESENTATIONS OF LEADING INTERNATIONAL EXPERT NETWORKS AND SCIENTIFIC NEWS SERVICES:

----DECENTRALISED EXPERT NETWORKS

1010: PROFNET
Dan Forbush, CEO of ProfNet, New York, USA ABSTRACT: ProfNet is a commercial service that distributes cost-free queries from journalists to ProfNet's decentralized expert network community of PR- and information officers at more than 5,500 North American member institutions. ProfNet was established in 1993. European services IDW and ExpertNet were later modelled after ProfNet.

1025: INFORMATIONSDIENST WISSENSCHAFT (IDW) Jochen Brinkmann, Project manager of IDW and Public Information Officer of the Technical University of Clausthal in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany
ABSTRACT: IDW is a non-profit German language expert-network covering more than 500 German speaking institutions across Europe. The network, introduced in 1996, is open for queries from journalists, students, and professionals. Queries are distributed to Public Information Officers at the member institutions.

1040: EXPERTNET (CVCP)
Gillian Enlund, Press & PR Manager, Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals
ABSTRACT: ExpertNet is an e-mail based expert retrieval system that allows reporters' queries to be distributed to all public information officers at all the 120 universities in the UK. The service was introduced in 1995.

CENTRALISED EXPERT NETWORKS

1055: SCIENCE CONTACT
Dr Michele van Hollebeke, Director of Science Contact, Paris, France
ABSTRACT: Science Contact is a centralised intermediary between querying journalists and a membership of 2,000+ internationally acclaimed scientists from all fields. SC strives to deliver a diversified choice of experts that are qualified, willing, and prepared to talk to the media. SC also serves journalists with scientific references, documents, event calendars, reports and press releases from various research institutions.

1110: BRAKE
Coffee, refreshments, etc.

----SCIENTIFIC NEWS PORTALS & ALERTING SERVICES

1125: EUREKALERT!
Nan Broadbent, Director of the News and Information Office, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Washington D.C., US
ABSTRACT: EurekAlert! is a news portal and alerting service that provides peer-reviewed research news alerts from all scientific fields. Registered and accredited reporters can access and preview embargoed material from scientific journals, research institutions, corporations, and government agencies before the news are available to the general public.

1145: ALPHAGALILEO & MEDIA RESOURCE SERVICE (MRS)
Peter Green, Project Director, British Association for the Advancement of Science (BAAS), London, UK
ABSTRACT: AlphaGalileo is news portal and alerting service that provides press releases and event information describing new research results from all scientific fields within Europe. Registered and accredited journalists can access embargoed materials before they are available to the general public. Releases are currently available in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. AlphaGalileo is merging with the UK-based Media Resource Service, a centralised expert database that helps journalists to get in touch with qualified scientists from across Europe.

----CRIS:

CURRENT RESEARCH INFORMATION SYSTEMS

1205: SAFARI
Claes Petri, Vice Project Director of Safari, at the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education
ABSTRACT: SAFARI is a decentralised system for the dissemination of Swedish research information on the Internet. The SAFARI-portal allows the general public to find information about science via a search engine that is fuelled by the SAFARI robot. The robot regularly visits university servers and databases, "harvesting" documents that contain relevant (Dublin Core based) metadata about Swedish academic research.

1220: A METHOD FOR NATIONAL INTRODUCTION OF INTERNET-ENABLED EXPERT NETWORKS
(click here to see presentation)
Dr David Nordfors, Michel Bajuk
ABSTRACT: A cost-effective general method is presented for national introduction and deployment of academic expert networks aimed at supporting journalistic research and public understanding of science and technology. The method has been proven successful in Sweden, where nine public information officers, researchers, and journalists from Swedish Universities received international fellowships, similar to post-doctoral grants, to participate on all levels in the operation of several international services that specialise in linking journalists to academic expertise. The initiative was funded by the KK Foundation, an organisation promoting technology transfer and the public use of information technology.

1235: EXPERTSVAR
Georg Strachal, Fellow of the Swedish Expert Network Fellowship, and Lecturer at the Department of Media, Journalism and Communication at the Stockholm University ABSTRACT: The ExpertSvar is an emerging new Swedish expert network and scientific news alerting service for journalists. The service is an initiative of the nine fellows of the Swedish Expert Network Fellowship, who upon their return to Sweden conducted several pilot tests probing possible network architectures. The pilot tests included active participation and recorded feedback from journalists, scientists and university administrations. The program has resulted in the creation of a Swedish expert network, well connected with existing networks.

1250: lunch brake

1415: COMMUNICATING NOBEL EXCELLENCE: HOW TO PROMOTE A GLOBAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCIENTIFIC FRONTIERS
Dr Solgerd Björn-Rasmussen, Head of the Information Department at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences ABSTRACT: What do scientists have to benefit from media exposure and public understanding of science? What are the mutual duties and responsibilities of scientists and journalists towards the public? Dr Solgerd Björn-Rasmussen shares her perspectives from her 20-year experience of helping the world to understand the science and the scientists behind the Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry, and The Prize in Economic Sciences to the memory of Alfred Nobel.

1450: PUTTING THE NEW TOOLS TO USE: MAKING A DIFFERENCE WHERE IT REALLY MATTERS
Roland Stanbridge, director of the New Media Lab at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
ABSTRACT: Could an increased public understanding of science in Africa make a difference on a troubled continent? What is the state of the relations between science and media in Africa? International expert networks and scientific news-alerting services has at times proven to be valuable for African journalists working under difficult conditions. This has inspired the development of regional expert networks such as the South African eScience.

1520: coffee & refreshments

----INTERNATIONAL ROUNDTABLE:

1540: COMPETING FOR INK & AIRTIME NATIONALLY AND REGIONALLY, OR CO-OPERATING GLOBALLY?
All panel participants + open microphone for the audience ABSTRACT: Future Perspectives: Challenges and Possibilities For Expert Networks, Scientists, University Administrators, and Journalists. Are these services promoting and representing national and regional interests, thus competing for media attention? Is reporting from the scientific frontiers a public service, or are journalists competing for the scientific scoop? Will there be a need for intermediaries between journalists and scientists in the future? If so, will there be room for more than one player in this arena? Is there a need for international co-operation - for intermediaries and journalists? What difference is the use of various expert networks and scientific news wires going to make for reporters when all reporters get wired?

1640: final remarks

1650: end


	Den 6 juli har vi ett kunskapsseminarie i Svenska paviljongen på världsutställningen i Hannover. Seminariet är kostnadsfritt. Register here! July 6th, EXPO2000 Swedish Pavilion Europa-Boulevard 50B Hanover, Germany 0930-1700 REPORTING AND COMMUNICATING FROM THE SCIENTIFIC FRONTIER - new interfaces between scientists and journalists: international expert networks and news services promoting public understanding of science. AUDIENCE: news reporters, science journalists, scientists, R&D- and science oriented public information officers, and other professionals with an interest in public understanding of science. 0930: DROP-IN; REGISTRATION Pre-registered attendees will have priority access to the seminar. Unconfirmed attendees will be allowed seats in terms of availability. 0940: INTRODUCTION Hostess: Malin Winbladh, Safari, Swedish Agency for Higher Education Moderator: Michel Bajuk, Kairos Future. Research Director, Swedish Expert Network Fellowships. 0950: ENABLING THE KNOWLEDGE DRIVEN ECONOMY WITH PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE (click here to see presentation) Dr David Nordfors, Managing Partner, Baz Associates, Tel Aviv, Israel & Stockholm, Sweden. Project Director, Swedish Expert Network Fellowships. ABSTRACT: Creating a new arena for knowledge competition in the media: How internet-enabled intermediaries and research tools between journalists and scientists can empower democracy, boost technology transfer and convergence of technology, and help to catalyse cross-disciplinary science through public dissemination of science. PRESENTATIONS OF LEADING INTERNATIONAL EXPERT NETWORKS AND SCIENTIFIC NEWS SERVICES: ----DECENTRALISED EXPERT NETWORKS 1010: PROFNET Dan Forbush, CEO of ProfNet, New York, USA ABSTRACT: ProfNet is a commercial service that distributes cost-free queries from journalists to ProfNet's decentralized expert network community of PR- and information officers at more than 5,500 North American member institutions. ProfNet was established in 1993. European services IDW and ExpertNet were later modelled after ProfNet. 1025: INFORMATIONSDIENST WISSENSCHAFT (IDW) Jochen Brinkmann, Project manager of IDW and Public Information Officer of the Technical University of Clausthal in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany ABSTRACT: IDW is a non-profit German language expert-network covering more than 500 German speaking institutions across Europe. The network, introduced in 1996, is open for queries from journalists, students, and professionals. Queries are distributed to Public Information Officers at the member institutions. 1040: EXPERTNET (CVCP) Gillian Enlund, Press & PR Manager, Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals ABSTRACT: ExpertNet is an e-mail based expert retrieval system that allows reporters' queries to be distributed to all public information officers at all the 120 universities in the UK. The service was introduced in 1995. CENTRALISED EXPERT NETWORKS 1055: SCIENCE CONTACT Dr Michele van Hollebeke, Director of Science Contact, Paris, France ABSTRACT: Science Contact is a centralised intermediary between querying journalists and a membership of 2,000+ internationally acclaimed scientists from all fields. SC strives to deliver a diversified choice of experts that are qualified, willing, and prepared to talk to the media. SC also serves journalists with scientific references, documents, event calendars, reports and press releases from various research institutions. 1110: BRAKE Coffee, refreshments, etc. ----SCIENTIFIC NEWS PORTALS & ALERTING SERVICES 1125: EUREKALERT! Nan Broadbent, Director of the News and Information Office, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Washington D.C., US ABSTRACT: EurekAlert! is a news portal and alerting service that provides peer-reviewed research news alerts from all scientific fields. Registered and accredited reporters can access and preview embargoed material from scientific journals, research institutions, corporations, and government agencies before the news are available to the general public. 1145: ALPHAGALILEO & MEDIA RESOURCE SERVICE (MRS) Peter Green, Project Director, British Association for the Advancement of Science (BAAS), London, UK ABSTRACT: AlphaGalileo is news portal and alerting service that provides press releases and event information describing new research results from all scientific fields within Europe. Registered and accredited journalists can access embargoed materials before they are available to the general public. Releases are currently available in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. AlphaGalileo is merging with the UK-based Media Resource Service, a centralised expert database that helps journalists to get in touch with qualified scientists from across Europe. ----CRIS: CURRENT RESEARCH INFORMATION SYSTEMS 1205: SAFARI Claes Petri, Vice Project Director of Safari, at the Swedish National Agency for Higher Education ABSTRACT: SAFARI is a decentralised system for the dissemination of Swedish research information on the Internet. The SAFARI-portal allows the general public to find information about science via a search engine that is fuelled by the SAFARI robot. The robot regularly visits university servers and databases, "harvesting" documents that contain relevant (Dublin Core based) metadata about Swedish academic research. 1220: A METHOD FOR NATIONAL INTRODUCTION OF INTERNET-ENABLED EXPERT NETWORKS (click here to see presentation) Dr David Nordfors, Michel Bajuk ABSTRACT: A cost-effective general method is presented for national introduction and deployment of academic expert networks aimed at supporting journalistic research and public understanding of science and technology. The method has been proven successful in Sweden, where nine public information officers, researchers, and journalists from Swedish Universities received international fellowships, similar to post-doctoral grants, to participate on all levels in the operation of several international services that specialise in linking journalists to academic expertise. The initiative was funded by the KK Foundation, an organisation promoting technology transfer and the public use of information technology. 1235: EXPERTSVAR Georg Strachal, Fellow of the Swedish Expert Network Fellowship, and Lecturer at the Department of Media, Journalism and Communication at the Stockholm University ABSTRACT: The ExpertSvar is an emerging new Swedish expert network and scientific news alerting service for journalists. The service is an initiative of the nine fellows of the Swedish Expert Network Fellowship, who upon their return to Sweden conducted several pilot tests probing possible network architectures. The pilot tests included active participation and recorded feedback from journalists, scientists and university administrations. The program has resulted in the creation of a Swedish expert network, well connected with existing networks. 1250: lunch brake 1415: COMMUNICATING NOBEL EXCELLENCE: HOW TO PROMOTE A GLOBAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCIENTIFIC FRONTIERS Dr Solgerd Björn-Rasmussen, Head of the Information Department at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences ABSTRACT: What do scientists have to benefit from media exposure and public understanding of science? What are the mutual duties and responsibilities of scientists and journalists towards the public? Dr Solgerd Björn-Rasmussen shares her perspectives from her 20-year experience of helping the world to understand the science and the scientists behind the Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry, and The Prize in Economic Sciences to the memory of Alfred Nobel. 1450: PUTTING THE NEW TOOLS TO USE: MAKING A DIFFERENCE WHERE IT REALLY MATTERS Roland Stanbridge, director of the New Media Lab at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa ABSTRACT: Could an increased public understanding of science in Africa make a difference on a troubled continent? What is the state of the relations between science and media in Africa? International expert networks and scientific news-alerting services has at times proven to be valuable for African journalists working under difficult conditions. This has inspired the development of regional expert networks such as the South African eScience. 1520: coffee & refreshments ----INTERNATIONAL ROUNDTABLE: 1540: COMPETING FOR INK & AIRTIME NATIONALLY AND REGIONALLY, OR CO-OPERATING GLOBALLY? All panel participants + open microphone for the audience ABSTRACT: Future Perspectives: Challenges and Possibilities For Expert Networks, Scientists, University Administrators, and Journalists. Are these services promoting and representing national and regional interests, thus competing for media attention? Is reporting from the scientific frontiers a public service, or are journalists competing for the scientific scoop? Will there be a need for intermediaries between journalists and scientists in the future? If so, will there be room for more than one player in this arena? Is there a need for international co-operation - for intermediaries and journalists? What difference is the use of various expert networks and scientific news wires going to make for reporters when all reporters get wired? 1640: final remarks 1650: end