The importance of scientific and technological publication and diffusion

Abstract

Within the present structure of the social contract in science, policies can be established in virtue of three kinds of forces: populist tension, "plutogratic" tension and exclusion tension. This work presents an exhaustive review of the role of publication and diffusion in science and technology, in the tracing of policies based upon populist tension. In order to do that, several studies on the comprehensibility of science and technology publications languages, scientific and technological illiteracy, the politics'vision on I+D, the media, the diversity of the themes selected, perception and evaluation of science and technology by public opinion, and the analysis of diffusion on science and technology in Argentina, are examined. The author argues for the need of a convenient diffusion strategy for the I+D activities.