Member's Zone

Trainees's Zone

Pompeu Fabra University
Science Communication Observatory

Key Personnel

Vladimir de Semir, Director.
Gemma Revuelta, Deputy Director.
Dr. Josep Maria Casasús, Academic Director.
Dr. Lluís Codina, Deputy Academic Director.
Isabel Bassedas, Coordinator.

Government board : Dr. Jaume Guillamet (UPF), Chairman; Dr. Montserrat Quesada (UPF), Secretary; Dr. Jordi Camí (IMIM-UPF), member; Dr. Ricard Guerrero (UB), member and Dr. David Jou (UAB) member
Research fellows : Núria Pérez (History of Science), Karla Islas (Public Health), Raimundo Roberts (Science Policy), Sílvia Coll (Discourse Analysis)

Institutional profile

The Science Communication Observatory (OCC) is a Research Centre linked to the Journalism Studies of the University Pompeu Fabra (UPF, Barcelona), created in 1994 through a joint initiative between the Ministry of Universities, Research and the Information Society (DURSI) of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the UPF. The centre is specialized in the study and analysis of the transmission of scientific, medical and technological knowledge to the society.

Teaching :

• Master in Science Communication (www.upf.es/idec/masters/mcc.htm) Specialization in:

  • Medical communication

  • Environment and biotechnology

  • Science museums

  • Science communication on TV: documentaries and interviews

• Science disseminators programme

• Workshops in science, medical and crisis communication

Research: A multidisciplinary team of researchers (journalists, biologists, physicians, linguists, historians, etc.) are working in the different lines of research of the OCC: science communication; crisis communication; science communication and knowledge representation; journalism specialized in science and technology; discourse analysis; health and medicine in the daily press; relationship between science journals and mass media; history of science communication; social understanding of science; gender and science through the mass media, promotion of scientific vocations, etc.

Networks and institutions where the OCC is participating:

• International Network of Public Communication of Science and Technology (PCST)

• International Network of Discourse Analysis Studies (XED), University Pompeu Fabra

• Laboratoire de recherche sur la Communication et l'Information Scientifique et Technique (LABCIS), University of Poitiers, France

• Observatorio de Bioética y Derecho , University of Barcelona

• The Institute for Applied Linguistics (IULA), University Pompeu Fabra

Selected Publications

De Semir Vladimir, Revuelta Gemma and others, Informe Quiral (medicine and health in the daily press), Fundación Vilacasas, Barcelona, (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 in press).
de Semir Vladimir, director, QUARK, Ciencia, Medicina, Comunicación y Cultura. (Rubes Editorial; Nº 1 to 27)
De Semir V., What’s newsworthy ?, The Lancet, Nº 347: 1063-66, 1996.
De Semir V., Ribas C., Revuelta G., Press Releases of Science Journal Articles and Subsequent Newspaper Stories on the Same Topic, JAMA, Vol 280, Nº 3, 203-306; July1998.