Are science blogs having an impact?

Posted by Tara C. Smith on September 17, 2007
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Do you have a few minutes? Care to lend you time by completing a short survey to help answer the titular question?

[EDITED TO ADD: thanks! We reached 1000 survey responses in just about 10 hours' time, so the survey is now closed...we really appreciate your participation!]

This survey attempts to access the opinions of bloggers, blog-readers, and non-blog folk in regards to the impact of blogs on the outside world. We’re examining the impact of science blogging and this survey will provide invaluable data to answer the following questions:

Who reads or writes blogs?
What are the perceptions of blogging, and what are the views of those who read blogs?
How do academics and others perceive science blogging?
What, if any, influence does science blogging have on science in general?

The survey itself will likely take ~10 minutes, and a bit more if you are a blogger yourself–and thanks in advance.

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Comments

  1. #1 Guru
    September 17, 2007

    Dear Tara,

    I took the survey. I was not happy about the available responses for question 30, though:

    30. Are you a blogger?
    Yes, I blog about science exclusively
    Yes, I blog about science occasionally
    Yes, but I only blog about science rarely
    Yes, but I never blog about science
    No, but I plan to start a blog in the future
    No, and I do not plan to start a blog

    I would have preferred if there was one more response, namely,
    Yes, I blog about science copiously (though not exclusively). In the event, I chose the first option, since, though I do not blog about science exclusively, I do blog about science more than occasionally (or, at least, I tend to think so).

  2. #2 SMC
    September 17, 2007

    I’m with “Guru”, above, on this question. There was also nowhere to indicate (regarding the frequency of blog updates) that the frequency of updates varies i.e. as readership grows, so does the frequency of updates. Who wants to spend hours updating a blog on a daily basis if nobody actually reads it (and conversely, who wouldn’t make an effort to update frequently if there were many readers?)

    There were a few other questions with similar problems, but they all seemed to have “other” categories where a suitable answer could be entered.

  3. #3 Jorge Gajardo Rojas
    September 20, 2007

    I have a blog but not about sciences:I write all things of my personal interest.My perception is the most blog are written by young people with interest in web Technology,music,and photologs.THe most of blogs are ended and dont last a year.If you blog about sciences you must be a scientific and this fact may restrain your audience.

  4. #4 Alvaro
    September 21, 2007

    Hello Tara, when/ where will we see the results?

  5. #5 Dean Morrison
    September 21, 2007

    Ben Goldacre of ‘Badscience’has just started to instigate a “BadScience” swarm – which I suppose must have been inspired by ‘Scienceblogs’ – but which Ben envisions as being as much less ‘proper’ and reverential.

    In other words more British and Sweary, and with the absolute minimum of what one might consider ‘standards’.

    Ben is an anarchist at heart, and is to be applauded for attracting a mixed bunch to his blog, which has turned up a few diamonds.

    He’s inspired me to have a go at blogging – but don’t expect to see much hre for a few weeks – I’m busy…

    http://deanmorrison.wordpress.com/

  7. #7 Dean Morrison
    September 21, 2007

    Hi Tara,,

    where is the survey? – and are you going to publish results??

    Deano

  8. #8 canta
    January 18, 2008

    Hi everybody. I don’t have enough knowledge in science. But I like Tara’s blog and I have learned many thigs.
    Thanks Tara..

  9. #9 muhabbet
    March 26, 2009

    thanks..