اکرم قدیمی

Subjec: 

Science and technology’s progress have opened new horizons for human being in a way that its effects have transformed the human lifestyle and given changed the globe. Undoubtedly, the spread of science in any society is related to the level of public understanding of science. For more than half a century, this index has been designed to measure public understanding of science in most developed countries and it is used in various surveys. The results of surveys show the positive effects of this index in improving the general public's understanding of science.

The purpose of this study is assessing and making localize the indicators of public understanding about science and technology in Iran. Considering the cultural and social differences of the societies, the indicators of public understanding of science were localized based on the cultural and social requirements of the country.

The research method in this study is descriptive and it is a survey. The people who study in this paper includes all men and women over 18 years who lived in Iran in 1400 and multi-stage cluster sampling method was used for selecting the samples. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire. With using the opinion of experts and their agreement coefficient, the content and face validity of the questionnaire were confirmed. Also measuring the construct validity second order confirmatory factor analysis was used. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used for measuring the reliability of the prepared questionnaire and its items. This questionnaire examined the public understanding of society in five areas: 1. Public understanding of science; 2. Science and society; 3. Scientific literacy; 4. Trust in science 5. Media. Also, at the end, two open-ended questions were presented.

The findings show that most people emphasize the positive impact of science and technology. Also, most people participated in scientific programs, but in some activities, such as visiting scientific centers, going to the library, the participation rate is lower. Statements related to scientific literacy were approved by the majority. According to the dimensions of trust in science, the positive and negative opinions are significant. The variety of views about scientific media and other media is worthy of consideration. Trust in jobs can also be checked from very high to minimal. The results of examining two open-ended questions about the introduction of contemporary scientific figures and scientific centers emphasize the necessity of redefining related terms.

Indicators of public understanding of science and technology such as balance monitor the state of science and technology in society. But in Iran, this issue has been neglected, it is necessary for policy makers and planners to pay attention to this issue in order to achieve scientific development and to prioritize the implementation of periodic surveys to measure public understanding of science as a priority in their future plans.

These days, virtual space plays a vast and significant role in human’s individual and social life. Many people spend a lot of time and energy in this space in order to produce digital products and consume another one’s productions. This style of consumption is called Digital Virtual Consumption. Social networks are very important in the procedure of consumption, because they gather so many people in their space and all virtual space have been republished there as multimedia productions and links. The goal of this research is to study of consumers’ meanings and interpretations about their lived experiences during digital virtual consumption. The research method qualitative and interpretative phenomenology technique is utilized for research. Telegram and Instagram as two famous and popular social networks in Iran are selected for the study. Data are gathered from three resources including news and reports about social networks, social network contents and deep semi-constructed interviews with consumers. The finding led to four important phenomena including: “Knowledge Network”, “Representation and Identity”, “Hypermarket” and “Challenge of Norms” which construct the main phenomenon of the research named “Pleasure of Freedom”.Keywords: Virtual Space, Social Networks, Phenomenology, Phenomenology IntroductionDigital virtual consumption is a relatively new term that is becoming more and more popular. These days we are surrounded by virtual space and telecommunication technologies and many questions have been raised about this digital life. Virtual consumption is a way to explain a kind of consumption that occurs in the computer atmosphere. Just like classic consumption, this kind of consumption can influence our lives and culture significantly. This research tries to study the effects of DVC on lifestyle and cultural aspects Tehran citizens buy utilizing phenomenological methods.PurposeDigitalization is a fast-growing trend in all people's lives. Qualities and results are these lifestyles is a very important question that can affect all aspects of policy making and cultural studies. No adequate research has been carried out in order to investigate the meanings and motivations of Tehran citizens that live in a digital atmosphere and describe their acts and meanings of them. This research can be the first step to discuss this matter and utilize the next studies as well.MethodologyBecause this research is designed to investigate the people's acts and their meanings, a phenomenological method was utilized. The research method is completely qualitative. Three data sources are utilized to discuss obtaining a better model of the case. Content analysis of Telegram and Instagram as to popular social media in Iran besides interviews to 45 social media users and eventually content analysis of news, policy documents and other media are data resources. The results have been coded and conceptual model is introduced.FindingsCoding and categorizing the results let in four important concepts that are; hypermarket, identity and representation, the conflict of norms and knowledge networks. The spirit of this research leads us that all of these concepts are related together via a more general and global concept which is named the joy of freedom. So, it could be claimed that Tehran citizens act and spend their time in virtual space especially in social networks in order to experience the joy of freedom. Concisely it could be claimed that freedom is the ultimate purpose of digital virtual consumption among Tehran citizens.ConclusionIt could be concluded from this research, that that freedom experience is a very strong motivation for users to stay and act in social media and barriers like filtering cannot avoid this act. So that the more filtering technologies are being strengthened the more users try to find some other technologies to bypass filters and preserve their free atmosphere of communication and consumption. This conflict results in a prolonged controversy between people and policymakers. Just an extended dialogue and cultural studies can modify this conflict and end the wasting of natural capitals.NoveltyDVC is a new term in virtual space studies and no previous research in Iran has investigated this term and its aspect. This study can be pursued in many other disciplines like sociology, economy HCI and policy.

The growing gap between education, research, and services has resulted in conflict between these functions in recent years. The university has decoupled its social functions from its scientific concerns. University social responsibility is the component that connects all universities. functions. As a result, we should not limit the concept of engagement to the third mission, which may reduce it to a secondary role.The meta-synthesis method was used to classify university social responsibility measurements in order to evaluate their social responsibility. An extensive review of the existing literature yielded 870 primary articles. The 23 cases were chosen after careful consideration of their relationship to the research objectives. The university's indicators of social responsibility were classified into five The indicators of social responsibility were measured in three dimensions using open and axial coding. The classes of the university were classified into 5 dimensions and 26 main categoriesDimensions include (1) governance (clear vision, supportive leadership, interaction with external stakeholders, Sustainable financing, democratic and consultative administration, and continuous evaluation and reporting), (2) education (Citizenship Principles Education, capability development, Inclusive Education, Problem-Oriented Curriculum, Participatory Training, and ethics in education), and (3) research (participatory research, problem-oriented research, transferring knowledge to industry and society; and social innovation); (4) services (supporting start-ups, participation in the regional economy, cultural and social development; and charitable activities) and (5) internal management (fair working procedures, quality of academic life academics, attention to the environment, dynamic structure and culture, and new infrastructure, were distinguished. This article shows that a responsible university pays attention to social media. issues in all functions and does not reduce the concern for social issues to The third role of the university.

In recent years, as social issues grow more intricate, the need for applying science and technology to address them has become vital. Universities, among the key institutions linked to science and technology, are playing an expanding social role. They are evolving, adjusting, and refining their roles and structures to better engage with society and meet their responsibilities to both internal and external stakeholders.As universities play a larger role in society, their social responsibility has transformed from being a peripheral concern to becoming a fundamental and essential concept embedded in all university functions. Understanding the path that led to the conceptualization of social responsibility in universities is important for guiding future research and policies.In this regard, this article aims to answer the question of how the idea of social responsibility in universities has evolved in the last four decades. Using the Metatheory method, with a systematic review of related research, to understand the intellectual, social, internal, and external dimensions of this concept It identifies the theoretical and social themes impacting this concept, spanning economic, political, social, and technological fields, as well as the policies and actions of governments and organizations. The article also looks into how other concepts, theories, schools of thought, tools, paradigms, and local and international networks have influenced the expansion of this concept. The goal is to trace the evolution of this concept over the last four decades.The research results show that in the past, two main approaches dominated the idea of the university's social responsibility (economic development and social justice), and in recent years, there's been a convergence towards a new approach (public goods).Additionally, systematic reviews of relevant research showed that the evolution of the concept of social responsibility in universities has been divided into three time periods over the last 40 years.The “social service” or outreach period (from the 1980s onward), The "social participation" period (from 2000 onward) and The "social engagement" period (from 2015 onward).Thus, to maintain their relevance and significance in society, universities must actively involve external stakeholders such as industries, markets, and communities in all aspects of their academic work, including their structure, strategy, and functions. This active engagement with the outside world is crucial for the university's ongoing role in society.

The purpose of this article is to measure public trust in scientific findings, scientific centers and researchers in Iran. With the increasing specialization of science and technology and its influence in everyday life and the expansion of media and communication tools, awareness about the consequences of the development of science and technology is distributed among social groups and people are aware of science and technology and its achievements. They look with more doubt. In the conditions of social distribution of knowledge, scientists alone do not have the knowledge and ability to predict all the social implications of innovation; This evolution has taken the evaluation of moral implications of science and technology out of the monopoly of scientists. Researchers of science and society try to explain different aspects of people's relationship with science and technology by posing their own questions, how to measure people's trust in science and technology and make them contribute to the growth and development of society, did.

In this study, we used descriptive method and survey design. To achieve the goal, a multi-stage cluster sampling method was used. The data collection tool was a questionnaire. The content and form validity of the questionnaire was done by using experts' opinion and checking their agreement coefficient. Also, the method of measuring the structural validity of the conceptual model (confirmatory factor analysis and examination of fit indices) was used, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used for the reliability of the prepared questions and items.

Regarding scientific findings, the respondents trusted issues related to scientific rules and regulations, confirmation of other sources, confirmation of other scientists, and the Internet. While the review by ordinary people and the confirmation of the media were not trusted by the respondents, the findings also showed that the majority of the society trusts

Science journalism on social media requires a clear framework and codified rules that can be achieved through scientific policy-making in this area. Given the deep research gap in this field, the present study attempts to model the science journalism policy on social media. This research is based on the purpose of an applied-developmental research and based on the data collection method, it is a descriptive research that has been done by cross-sectional survey method. The statistical population of the research includes theoretical experts (university professors) and experimental experts (experienced journalists). Sampling was performed by purposive method and after 20 specialized interviews, theoretical saturation was obtained. Content analysis and MaxQDA 20 software were used to identify the components of science journalism policy in social media. Structural-interpretive modeling method and MicMac software were used to determine the relationships between the components. Research findings indicate that strengthening the infrastructure and formulating the perspectives of science journalism affects the education and promotion of science journalism and leads to the empowerment of this field. Through empowerment, it is possible to produce content tailored to the general needs and increase the oversight role and demand of science journalists, and consequently, the oversight of social media. Social media can also enhance communication and trust between the scientific community and the public, and increase academics' participation and engagement with science journalists. These factors ultimately lead to the policy journalism of science on social media.

In the age of digital media, science journalism, on the one hand, has increased the scope and speed of scientific news coverage, and on the other hand, has caused doubts about the accuracy and credibility of the news in this field. The purpose of this research is to design and validate the model of science journalism in the age of modern media. In terms of purpose, this research is applied-developmental. The statistical population included experts in the field of science journalism (20 in the model presentation section and 169 journalists in the quantitative section). The selection of the experts was done through purposive sampling and the selection of the journalists was done via random sampling. The data collection tool is questionnaire. Structural-interpretive modeling method was used to design the model and the partial least squares method was used to validate the model. Components of education and promotion of science journalism are communication and trust between the scientific community and the public, using the new media, empowerment of science journalism, content development tailored to the public needs, removal of barriers to the growth and development of science journalism, science journalism infrastructure, policy-making of science journalism in Iran, participation and accompaniment of academics, the supervisory and claiming role of the science journalists. By strengthening the infrastructures and removing the obstacles to the growth and development of science journalism, it is possible to influence the training and promotion of science journalism and to empower science journalists. By empowerment of science journalists, in turn, production of the content suitable for the needs of the public and increasing the claiming of the science journalists can be achieved.

Science journalism policy-making is a grand strategy that emphasizes the role and functions of science journalism as well as changing common paradigms with respect to the impact of the Internet and new media to guide decisions, achieve logical goals and reduce existing challenges. The aim of this study was to provide a policy model for science journalism based on new media. This study is an applied-developmental research in terms of purpose and has been done with a cross-sectional survey approach. The statistical population includes theoretical experts (university professors) and experimental experts (experienced journalists). Purposeful method was used for sampling and continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. Finally, the views of 20 experts were used. The content analysis method and MaxQDA software were used to identify the underlying categories of science journalism policy. Structural-interpretive method and MicMac software were used to present the model. The research findings show the factors that ultimately lead to the policy-making of science journalism in Iran.

In the age of modern media, on the one hand, the scope and speed of coverage of scientific news has increased, and on the other hand, the accuracy and credibility of news in this field has been accompanied by doubts. In such a situation, science journalism is one of the specialties that we need more than ever. The present study aims to pay attention to the contribution of science journalism in promoting science in the current situation and in the era of modern media.In this regard, the components of strengthening communication and trust between the scientific community and the public, using new media, increasing awareness of the type and manner of interaction with the audience and increasing the participation and cooperation of academics with science journalists have been considered. This research is an analytical-interpretive research in terms of purpose. The statistical population includes 20 experts in the field of science journalism. Expert sampling was done in a purposeful manner and the data collection tool is semi-structured interview.The results show that by empowering science journalists, it is possible to produce content tailored to the general needs and increase the supervisory and demanding role of science journalists. The new media are also able to strengthen the relationship and trust between the scientific community and the public and increase the participation and cooperation of academics with science journalists.

Grassroots innovations are community-based solutions which are provided to respond to the needs of the local community. Working with local knowledge will be developed with people’s interaction with each other and environmental challenges; grassroots innovations are easy and inexpensive, and easy to apply and replicate; the motivation for this type of innovation is not profit or commercialization, but the important principle in this type of innovation is preserving identity & culture. Grassroots innovations are usually informal, indigenous and local, and carried out by ordinary people who have no experiences in the formal and organized sectors to achieve sustainable development. The purpose of this paper is getting acquainted with grassroots innovations in other countries. In this study, we used the documentary method. We are going to examine the grassroots innovations in India, Brazil and Argentina, which were primers of grassroots innovation movements, and have taken a brief look at the grassroots innovations in countries such as Malaysia, China, South Africa, and England. Grassroots innovations are often formed to serve local goals or solve local problems. The two components of "greenness" (attention to the environment) and "low cost" are the most important components of popular innovations.

Grassroots innovations are informal, indigenous, and local solutions carried out by ordinary people with no experience in formal and organized sectors to solve problems. The aim of this paper was identifying grassroots innovations in Iran and developing related indicators.It was a mixed method research with explanatory design; Therefore, the research was conducted in two parts: qualitative and quantitative. First, by examining the research literature in this field, the existing indicators for Grassroots innovations were extracted and approved by experts using the Delphi technique; then, based on these indicators, the questionnaire was designed. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts using the CVI index and then it was sent to officials in areas related to popular innovation in different provinces. Out of 213 questionnaires received, 116 were identified as Grassroots innovations based on the extracted indicators and were quantitatively analyzed. Findings in the quantitative part showed that in this study, the average age of popular innovators was 36 years, 15% of innovators were women and 85% were men. The highest number of participants in this study was related to the provinces of South Khorasan and Fars province. People with a bachelor's degree had the highest frequency. The areas of Grassroots innovations in this study were mostly in the technical field (37%), agriculture and animal husbandry (21%) and environment and art (12% each). In the qualitative stage, 21 Grassroots innovators were interviewed. Then, in order to qualitatively analyze the interviews and questionnaires, the Colaizai’s method was used and the findings showed that grassroots innovation in Iran in seven main themes including problem solving, environmental protection, being economical, applicability, government independence, availability and the use of technology is defined and these themes include sub-themes that were introduced as indicators of grassroots innovation in Iran. The findings of this section also confirmed the samples of the quantitative section.

In recent years, generalization or the popularization of science has become very important in Iran. In addition to universities and academic centers, many other governmental and non-governmental institutions have also addressed the issue of science popularization. However, there is still no clear and universally accepted definition of the popularization of science. The purpose of this study was to develop a model for the popularization of science in Iran. In this study, a qualitative method with a Grounded Theory approach was used. Participants in the study were selected by purposive sampling method, which includes experts (including faculty members, professors, state representatives, heads of scientific, research institutes, and etc.). They participated in five focus groups consisting of ten people. The interview questions were designed based on several factors that led to develop the final model. According to this method and information gathered, a total of 129 initial concept-codes have were extracted from the textual analysis of the interviews. Extracted raw codes have become 61 secondary codes due to their frequencies, and then secondary codes have reduced to 12 concept-codes. According to these concept-codes, 6 sub-categories and 6 main categories were extracted. Based on the developed model, a common definition of science popularization, factors affecting of science popularization and also the effects of science popularization in society were identified. In addition, the role of science popularization strategies in creating positive outcomes of science popularization was explained.

Complex scientific issues are an inseparable part of modern societies and are continuously debated in the public sphere. Consequently, a basic understanding of these complex issues should be possible for all individuals.  In democratic societies, a general understanding of science is important in correct process of policy-making about controversial scientific topics. Recognizing the importance of the ethical, legal, and social dimensions of new scientific developments, the federal government of USA over the last 20 years has made information activities and public understanding of science as a mandatory component of federally funded projects. The essential assumption behind these communicational projects is that greater access to information will lead to more knowledge about ethical, legal, and social issues.  This matter in turn will lead to enhanced individualsand communitiesability to deal with these issues. In this paper, a case study approach is used as a basis for evaluating theoretical models of science development to understand the relationship between these models and real-world activities

The popularization of science involves a broad range of activities, including the acceptance, understanding and participation in science that common goal it of bridging the gap between science and the general public. The aim of this paper is to investigate the importance of popularization of science in reducing pseudo-science in the Covid 19 period. In this paper, the method of documentary research has been used. With the prevalence of Covid 19 in the world, the importance of science and its popularization in the world to reduce pseudo-science has increased more than ever. Once again, humans relied on science, scientists, and experts to discover the corona vaccine. Considering that, one of the important goals of popularization of science is to fight against superstition and pseudoscience, critical thinking is one of the tools to combat pseudoscience.

The role of science and technology in societies development is undeniable and nowadays the presence of theses two important concept can be seen in all aspects of human life. Science and technology are one of the key tools for developing countries. As any scientific development and progress is achieved in the light of policy-making. any, it is necessary to note that policymakers explain and announce the principles that conduct the necessary . actions and activities in the society as a model and guideance Indeed, policy-making as an important topic has been the source of fundamental alteration in the scientific, educational, cultural, social, economic and political fields. The popularization of science in its modern sense is one of the new topics which all sciences are somehow related to it. The popularization of science is a bridge between scientific literature and people ordinary talk. In simple way, the popularization of science is a tool for linking and communicating between society and the world of science. The concept of promoting science is an attempt to reflect the scientific ideas in comprehensible form for better understanding of science’s basic concepts by all people. Generally, public understanding of science is called the . promotion of science The purpose of this article is attention to the importance and necessity of science policy, technology and science popularization in Iran. In this study, a systematic review method has been used. Literature review shows despite of the emphasis on science and technology policy over the past fifty years in our country, there is a clear difference between what is and what should be. Science and technology policy-making, and science popularization can outline countries' roadmaps for the relationship between science and society, and provide the necessary requirements for countries to achieve sustainable . development

Nowadays, life increasingly relies on inclusive scientific and technological infrastructures. Today, the use of technology has been manifested in all aspects of people's lives, so that decision-making processes in all aspects are based on the indicators of science and technology. Science has even come up with issues such as ethics and tradition, so traditional issues of ethics in the modern age have taken on new dimensions and require new study and research. The ethics of debate has now reached all areas of knowledge, as ethics is spoken in the various branches of the human sciences. The purpose of this study is to identify centers for science and technology ethics in the US, UK, India and China.

In this paper, the experiences of countries belonging active centers in the area of ethics in science and technology including academic and non-academic centers such as the United States of America, UK, China and India will be discussed and they were submitted to a comparative study to offer a model for the establishment and development of organizations and centers in this area in Iran.

Science popularization is one of the new topics which has captured a lot of interest in recent years. Science popularization is an attempt to reflect scientific thoughts to enable the general public to comprehend the essential concepts of a particular science. In other words, the general public understanding of science is called Science Popularization. Science popularization in a sense is facilitating the comprehension of scientific literature for the people who either are incapable of scientific concepts or do not have access to the preliminary scientific concepts. The primary aim of science popularization is increasing the comprehension of general public about the science. Currently, many countries are reforming the regulations and documents related to the science popularization in order to make their policies concerning science popularization more effective. Considering the experience of our country in recent years and the slow process of incorporating scientific achievements into economic and public spheres and the gap between scientists and the society, the Center for the Scientific Policies of the Country has come to the conclusion that developing plans for science popularization is one of the essential and basic requirements to reach an acceptable base for success in the area of science popularization. As a result, this center has decided to prepare the package of science popularization plan entitled “Science popularization plans package within the framework of the comprehensive scientific road map of the country” with the aim of “explaining concepts related to the science popularization, Models and Patterns of science popularization and the analysis of the situation and status of science popularization as well as preparing the science popularization system in Iran”. In this regard, in addition to the above-mentioned aim, the Science popularization plans package within the framework of the comprehensive scientific road map of the country, is attempting to involve all groups in society in this process and respond to the following question: “Is Science popularization plans package within the framework of the comprehensive scientific road map of the country, possible?” This package is trying to leave the approach of occasional convening of plans and absorbing resources for these events, and arrive at scientific acculturation and persuading the public and policy-makers to enter in this sphere with emphasis on innovation and change in the perception of general public and policy-makers and by offering direction to policy-makers and by pursuing an active and effective approach regarding science popularization is trying to transform beliefs, behaviours, and the scientific participation in society. Maximum utilization of science popularization capacity of the country and proposing an approach for facilitating the process of empowering those who are involved in science popularization is one of the most important instruments this package offers, and this package has been introduced in order to attain this goal. Actualization of Iran’s goals in reaching a higher scientific status at regional and international levels, the transition from the current situation of the society concerning scientific beliefs and the leap toward a scientific society which will follow, requires a substantial transformation in all of the scientific popularization structures. This package includes six programs for science popularization. It has also offered the vision, values, aims, targeted Groups, and has analyzed the expected results, the overall implementation policies, and the challenges facing the science popularization system of Iran.

Nowadays, the science and technology is one of the most elements that affect on the international- scientific cooperation. Science and technology in general and diplomacy of science and technology in particular are among categories which have the ability & capacity of National Interest provision under any circumstances and play a role as a remarkable component of the soft power in the economic, cultural, political and security fields in countries. The importance of science in foreign policy can be observed in the speech of Henry Kessinger, Advisor of National Security to Nicson, "There is nothing more international than science".
In addition to the examination of the comparative performance and diplomacy position of science and technology in Iran & USA, the purpose of this research is also to review the situations and advantages of the said diplomacy for Iran foreign policy. This research is looking for response to this question "Do the function of science and technology diplomacy is the same in Iran & USA?" The approach of this research is analytical-descriptive. The theoretical framework of this research is soft- power. Diplomacy of Science & Technology plays a major role in development and formation of international and regional coalitions. This type of diplomacy with benefiting from science and technology can manage the conflicts among countries and nations at the least cost.

In July 2016, due to its whimsical and majestic topography, UNESCO inscribed the Lut Desert on its World Heritage List. The wonderful scenery of the Lut has always fascinated the eco-tourists. However, there is little information available on its unusual ecosystem. In December 2016, the Science Journal in a report by Richard Stone attempted to decipher this mystery. Until now, it has been assumed that without plants as the first link in every food chain and the primary producers, the stability of food web will be disrupted. So how can the existence of living organisms including insects, reptiles and desert foxes be explained? In November 2016, a team of Iranian, American and European researchers traveled into the Lut to find an answer to this dilemma. Their findings were quite unexpected.