%0 Journal Article %1 kirschke2025structuring %A Kirschke, Sabrina %A Kosow, Hannah %D 2025 %J Review of policy research %K myown zfb-p zirius %P 1-26 %R https://doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12641 %T Structuring wicked problems in science communication %U https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ropr.12641 %X Public policy scholars increasingly deal with wicked problems and how diverse actors structure these problems in policy processes. However, the role of actors at the interface of science and society such as science communicators in structuring wicked problems remains widely unclear. This paper analyzes how science communicators translate wicked problems in their science communication activities focusing on two research questions: How do science communicators understand the problem territories they are dealing with in terms of their wickedness? And to what degree do science communicators aim to tame or communicate wickedness to the public? To answer these two questions, 20 science communication projects implemented within the German Science Year 2022 “Participate” were analyzed. Data were collected through 20 online interviews with science communicators, including both open and closed questions. Results reveal that the wickedness of public policy problems only partly translates into science communication practice: Science communicators understand problems rather broadly, crystallizing in a rather medium degree of wickedness. At the same time, science communicators tend to tame wicked problems by addressing specific facets of problems rather than translating the overall wickedness they perceive. Results add to research about the role of different actors in structuring wicked public policy problems and the role of intermediary actors in these processes, in particular.

@article{kirschke2025structuring, abstract = {Public policy scholars increasingly deal with wicked problems and how diverse actors structure these problems in policy processes. However, the role of actors at the interface of science and society such as science communicators in structuring wicked problems remains widely unclear. This paper analyzes how science communicators translate wicked problems in their science communication activities focusing on two research questions: How do science communicators understand the problem territories they are dealing with in terms of their wickedness? And to what degree do science communicators aim to tame or communicate wickedness to the public? To answer these two questions, 20 science communication projects implemented within the German Science Year 2022 “Participate” were analyzed. Data were collected through 20 online interviews with science communicators, including both open and closed questions. Results reveal that the wickedness of public policy problems only partly translates into science communication practice: Science communicators understand problems rather broadly, crystallizing in a rather medium degree of wickedness. At the same time, science communicators tend to tame wicked problems by addressing specific facets of problems rather than translating the overall wickedness they perceive. Results add to research about the role of different actors in structuring wicked public policy problems and the role of intermediary actors in these processes, in particular.}, added-at = {2025-01-12T16:37:49.000+0100}, author = {Kirschke, Sabrina and Kosow, Hannah}, biburl = {https://puma.ub.uni-stuttgart.de/bibtex/2233cf7b6a8023299d512be84bde771ba/zirius}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/ropr.12641}, interhash = {0f279d4aaee8ba6007d963d7f20b0f9e}, intrahash = {233cf7b6a8023299d512be84bde771ba}, journal = {Review of policy research}, keywords = {myown zfb-p zirius}, pages = {1-26}, timestamp = {2025-01-12T16:39:45.000+0100}, title = {Structuring wicked problems in science communication}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/ropr.12641}, year = 2025 }