The Tension between Scientific Research Achievements and Scientific News

For the general public who want to know the progress of scientific research, people do not consult professional academic journals in most cases. Therefore, scientific news based on scientific research papers has become an important channel for the public to obtain scientific and technological information and understand the progress of scientific research. For academic journals, the dissemination and diffusion of relevant scientific research results in the form of science news can play the function of popular science to a certain extent, and also help to improve the citation rate of corresponding scientific research results, which is supported by research conclusions in empirical research. For the production of science news, the content produced based on peer-reviewed scientific research papers published in scientific journals can ensure its scientificity to a certain extent, and can also meet the relevant needs of the public.
From the above point of view, the effective connection between scientific research papers and scientific news should become a "convention". In specific practice, we can also see that many sci-tech journals have also adopted this model, that is, before the publication of peer-reviewed scientific research results, the prepared scientific news articles will be provided to media reporters in various forms. And assist media reporters to do the corresponding interview work. This model can maximize the dissemination effect while publishing scientific research papers and capture public attention, expand the influence and awareness of scientific research results.
In fact, there is an important principle involved in this, which is the Avifacer rule. The rule was proposed by Franz Ingefinger, editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine in 1969. The general content is that it is not appropriate to publicize scientific research results through the media before scientific journals have published scientific research papers. In other words, science news reported in the media should be based on peer-reviewed scientific papers. Of course, this is also a practice of "the lesser of the two evils", because there must be a certain time delay from making scientific discoveries to publishing scientific research results, but the media pursues the exclusivity and the right to publish scientific news. Therefore, some sci-tech journals have adopted the system of "time-limited ban on publication" to ensure that news reports related to scientific research results are based on the publication of scientific research papers. Of course, there is a specific practice of "no papers, no news. Of course, with the acceleration of the pace of media publication and the vigorous development of self-media, the time delay of the "time limit ban" system is getting shorter and shorter, and even science news can be launched simultaneously with scientific research papers, but in any case, the report of scientific research results should be based on the publication of scientific research results.
However, in reality, we will find a phenomenon that deviates from this principle, that is, some researchers bypass sci-tech journals or peer review, and directly "publish" scientific research results to the media and the public in the form of press conferences. Of course, this involves the issue of the right to launch scientific research results, but it also brings certain challenges to the production of scientific news. Stanley Pons and Martin Fleissman, for example, announced their success in cold nuclear fusion at room temperature, not through scientific papers but through press conferences. The most recent example is that a team of South Korea physicists uploaded two papers on the preprint website arXiv, claiming to have discovered the first superconductor at room temperature and pressure. Although the scientific community is relatively calm about this situation, because this is not the first time that the "own dragon" about room temperature superconductivity has once again brought shock to the financial sector, especially the investment circle. "The capital market has been detonated." Some people even joked that "the main contradiction in the current society is that the financial circle has overcome major scientific problems many times, and the scientific research circle always cannot keep up with the contradiction." Although this statement has a playful element, it also illustrates the tension between the current publication of scientific research results and the production of scientific news.
In fact, in this round of media reporting, we can still find some phenomena worthy of taste, of course, it also helps us to think about how to do a good job in the production of scientific news based on scientific research results.
First of all, the phenomenon of scientific media is becoming more and more obvious. Scientific research results are no longer only published in scientific and technological journals, but more in pursuit of public awareness. Therefore, some scientific research results have adopted a "pro-media" approach in a certain sense. After all, a large number of scientific research papers are produced and published every year. Come out, and in order to get media publicity and reports, they also need to "walk out of the deep lane", in the process of producing scientific news, the media needs to be vigilant against the phenomenon of scientific media. In terms of topic selection, experts and researchers who do not have conflicts of interest in related fields can be solicited, and scientific research results can be reported objectively and fairly.
Secondly, since the media compression and even avoid from scientific research papers to science news process. In order to seize the right to start in the first place, some self-media accounts will avoid or cross the regular process of news production, and even use some exaggerated methods to attract attention. Therefore, it is necessary to standardize the process of scientific news production, improve the scientific literacy of relevant practitioners, and ensure that true and accurate scientific news is provided to the public.
Thirdly, the role and responsibility of the scientific community need to be strengthened. Scientific research results from discovery to publication to dissemination is an interlocking process. In this process, the scientific community needs to play a role such as peer review to ensure that excellent scientific research results can be published, and work closely with the media to expand the public awareness of the results. At the same time, it actively implements the Yingjefinger rules to ensure the authenticity and reliability of science news content.

Source: bright net