At PhilScience we launched in 2024 the research project titled Metatheoretical Investigation of the Criteria of Adequacy of Scientific Communication to the General Public. The project (ScCom) aims to answer the question of whether scientific communication to the general public is possible while redefining the concept of scientific literacy on epistemological grounds and shaping an interdisciplinary theoretical framework within which the research will provide the criteria of adequacy of this particular type of communication and the basic theoretical norms that should optimize this complex process.
The project started with a theoretical-formal approach to the popularized scientific text in its mere linguistic-logic-epistemic form, independent of the level of education of the reader. The idea was to identify an “epistemic-readability” logic of such a text, which should make it intelligible and understandable (concepts to be defined adequately) under the constraints imposed by journalistic style. This approach to adequacy is metatheoretical and involves, along with educational and cognitive sciences, philosophical disciplines such as logic, epistemology, and philosophy of science and language, which, given the optimization goal, would become effectively applicative.
Although it sounds merely theoretical, the ScCom project has several applicative and empirical dimensions. After acquiring the optimization model of a scientific text within the theoretical-formal stage, the project can be developed further toward the application and implementation of practical results in the activity of the entities providing non-classical forms of science education, namely science periodicals and ‘e-learning’ platforms, as well as web-based science/research communicators and explainers across all niches.
Prior to reaching these main goals (or in parallel), we found it useful to explore and collect feedback from the activity related to the simplest form of science communication, namely science journalism aimed at communicating relevant research results published in academic journals. This first ‘in-field’ operation was justified not only by the expected long timeframe of the theoretical research in this project, but also by the strong social dimension of science communication. It is particularly this dimension of science communication that makes the empirical qualitative research necessary in this project, expected to serve effectively the theoretical research, which is more elaborated around its epistemic dimension.
Starting in 2026, through various campaigns, we encouraged various non-academic websites to adopt a specific form of science journalism for making research results available to the general audience. We collaborated with experts, writers, and website managers in several niches with the ability to write and post on their sites (or sites for which they write) user-friendly summaries of journal articles, with topics of interest for their readership. Such summaries serve as sources for a better reading and understanding of the academic topics being cited, as well as science and research news.
According to the project’s methodology, we provided the writers with basic guidelines for preparing their summaries, optimized for this particular form of science communication and its goals, while leaving them the freedom and flexibility in adapting and customizing the summary with regard to style and context as related to their niche, other information on their site, and their readers’ interests. One of the requirements for a summary to be considered and assessed in our analysis was not to be written with the help of AI.
Given the social dimension of science communication, the qualitative analysis of this form of science journalism should consider the text itself, the communicator’s work, and the impact on readers. This is why the feedback collected from the website managers with regard to their particular writing experience in adopting this form of science journalism in their niche, as well as the feedback from their readers will be analyzed and the conclusions will be factored in the overall research.
In this pilot research report we provide in the appendix a sample list of journal articles that were summarized according to the methodology above. They are not listed in any particular order or grouped by thematic or disciplinary categories. Each entry contains a reference to the summarized journal article (in academic format) and a link to its non-academic summary.
We will continue to publish research and technical reports associated with the ScCom project as the research progresses and partial results are obtained.
Appendix 1 – Sample list of summarized journal articles
Turner, N. E. (1998). Doubling vs. constant bets as strategies for gambling. Journal of Gambling Studies, 14(4), 413-429. Summary
Psychology – Problem gambling
Bărboianu, C. (2024). Non-mathematical dimensions of randomness: Implications for problem gambling. Journal of Gambling Issues, Vol. 36, 1. Summary
Psychology – Problem gambling
McEwen, A., West, R., & McRobbie, H. (2008). Motives for smoking and their correlates in clients attending Stop Smoking treatment services. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 10(5), 843-850. Summary
Psychology – Substance abuse/Addiction
Harrigan, K. A., & Dixon, M. (2009). PAR Sheets, probabilities, and slot machine play Implications for problem and nonproblem gambling. Journal of Gambling Issues, Vol. 23, 81–110. Summary
Psychology – Problem gambling
Swanton, T. B., & Gainsbury, S. M. (2020). Gambling-related consumer credit use and debt problems: A brief review. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, Vol. 31, 21-31. Summary
Psychology – Behavioural psychology
Leontyeva, Y., & Mayburov, I. (2017). Price availability of car rental as an alternative of car ownership. In 10th Annual Conference of the EuroMed Academy of Business. Summary RO
Psychology – Consumer psychology
Armfield, Jason M., and L. J. Heaton. (2013). Management of fear and anxiety in the dental clinic: a review. Australian Dental Journal, 58(4), 390-407. Summary RO
Medicine – Dentistry
Harrigan, K. A., & Dixon, M. (2009). PAR Sheets, probabilities, and slot machine play Implications for problem and nonproblem gambling. Journal of Gambling Issues, Vol. 23, 81–110. Summary RO
Psychology – Problem gambling
Turner, N., & Horbay, R. (2004). How do slot machines and other electronic gambling machines actually work?. Journal of Gambling Issues, Vol. 11. Summary RO
Psychology – Problem gambling
Williams, R. J., & Connolly, D. (2006). Does learning about the mathematics of gambling change gambling behavior?. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 20(1), 62. Summary
Psychology – Problem gambling
Robins, D., & Holmes, J. (2008). Aesthetics and credibility in web site design. Information Processing & Management, 44(1), 386-399. Summary
Information science – Human-computer interaction
Roxburgh, A. D., Best, D., Martinelli, T., Manning, V., & Vanderplasschen, W. (2026). Mutual-aid group involvement lowers relapse risk more in early recovery than in later stages. Journal of Substance Use, 1-6. Summary
Psychology – Addiction psychology
Kirchler, M., Ferro, M., Lorenzini, V. et al. (2026). Large language models improve transferability of electronic health record-based predictions across countries and coding systems. npj Digital Medicine, Vol. 9 , 177. Summary
Computer science – Applications of the artificial intelligence
Bauer, S. R., Breyer, B. N., Stampfer, M. J., Rimm, E. B., Giovannucci, E. L., & Kenfield, S. A. (2020). Association of diet with erectile dysfunction among men in the health professionals follow-up study. JAMA network open, 3(11), e2021701-e2021701. Summary
Medicine – Obstetrics and gynecology
Goel, N., Rohilla, H., Singh, G., & Punia, P. (2016). Antifungal activity of cinnamon oil and olive oil against Candida spp. isolated from bloodstream infections. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, 10(8), DC09. Summary
Medicine – Infectious diseases
Cavadias I, Maitrot-Mantelet L, Perol S, et al. (2026). Risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality among women with endometriosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 105(2), 225-237. Summary
Medicine – Obstetrics and gynecology
Peters, U., & Chin-Yee, B. (2025). Generalization bias in large language model summarization of scientific research. Royal Society Open Science, 12(4). Summary
Computer science – Applications of the artificial intelligence
Pascoe, M. A. (2025). Improving science communication and organization visibility through Wikipedia: A case study of the American Association for Anatomy. Anatomical Sciences Education. Summary
Social sciences – Science education
Catalin Barboianu is mathematician and philosopher of science. He is the founder of PhilScience.