A popular article It is a text intended to disseminate scientific, social or technological knowledge, in such a way that it can be understood by any reader with an average command of the language, generally published in media intended for the general public..
A popular article differs from scientific articles in that they have the function of presenting the results of advances and research to a specialized public, and they are generally written in technical language that can become incomprehensible to the non-knowledgeable public..
The reader of the popular articles must be able to understand the facts or ideas expressed in the article without having to be a specialist in the subject, and the subjects must be presented in a way that attracts any reader.
The informative article usually serves to disseminate new advances and discoveries, or to update information on different scientific, social and humanistic disciplines.
Article index
A disclosure article, to be effective, must have the following characteristics:
The language used must be clear, entertaining and accessible to any kind of general public, although it must be adapted according to the age and training of the target audience (for example, when the target audience is children).
For the language to be accessible, it must be structured in short sentences, with a vocabulary accessible to all audiences, that is, with a journalistic language.
Popular articles usually deal with specialized scientific, technological and academic topics, but the author does not necessarily have to be scientific or academic..
These articles can be written by journalists or popularizers; the important thing is that the author of the work investigates in depth on the subject to be discussed, has an extensive conceptual base and a good handling of the information.
The style must have a clear sequence: present the idea and the discovery, explain or relate the facts and their scientific and social implications, and indicate the sources of the information.
The subject of the article must be presented in an entertaining and attractive way, avoiding technical and specialized language whenever possible, without ever losing scientific rigor or being truthful..
You must cite the sources from which you extract the information, and these must have academic or scientific credit. Do not forget that in the networks there is a lot of pseudoscientific information and the way to discard it is by reviewing its sources.
Generally, the popular article is presented with an attractive typography and supported by audiovisual resources (especially in digital publications), maps, illustrations and graphics..
Generally, newspapers and magazines have a dissemination section, however, currently there are numerous magazines and digital media dedicated exclusively to popularization articles..
The content of a popular article must be current and have a clear relevance to society.
New findings in medical research, environmental issues or technological innovations are just some examples of topics that can be attractive and current, since all these fields, in one way or another, can be part of the context of readers.
Popular articles should be based on reliable scientific research..
For a research to be considered reliable, it must have, at least, these two characteristics: first, the authors of the research must have academic credentials related to the subject they deal with (university studies, be researchers associated with laboratories or research centers, in other aspects).
Second, they must include experiments through which the hypothesis corresponding to the problem to be solved is tested..
When the subject is very specialized, a glossary is usually included to explain technical or difficult-to-understand terms.
Disclosure articles are characterized by being published in media, both print and digital, with certain specifications.
If the subject matter is addressed in a general way, the articles of diffusion could be published in magazines and newspapers that offer general news; They are usually located within the section of the newspaper or magazine that corresponds to the subject matter (science, technology, medicine, social issues, etc.).
If the topic covered in the broadcast article is more complex or specific, they are usually published in specialized magazines. Magazines such as Nature, Science, Popular Mechanics or National Geographic are some examples where this type of article is published.
The purpose of a popular article is to make accessible to a wide public, facts, topics, advances and discoveries reported in publications and technical or scientific media, which inform or report with a specialized language and aimed at professionals in each area..
According to the discipline or the subject covered, the informative articles promote a greater knowledge of the public about scientific advances, discoveries in the field of biology, physics, medicine or archeology..
Scientific dissemination also seeks to attract funds for research and attract students to these disciplines.
It also helps to reduce the resistance that tends to exist in some sectors of the population around certain sciences (such as vaccines and some medical treatments), and to promote the protection of the environment.
At present, popular articles play a fundamental role in the fight against the resurgence of some fears and superstitions, and in favor of a more balanced relationship with our planet..
An informative article consists of the following parts:
The titles of articles in scientific or technical publications tend to be long and full of technicalities. The title of an informative article should be the opposite: short, without technical terms and attracting the interest of the reader.
It consists of presenting in two or three lines the topic that the article will deal with. It should function as an invitation to the reader, while being informed about the topic in question.
The first few paragraphs should convey the main information - the advancement, discovery, or invention - and should try to entice the reader to continue reading..
Some articles, such as those of historical or geographical dissemination, frequently resort to telling an anecdote or a story with which the reader can identify. Something similar can be found in articles on advances in medicine and on new technological developments.
It makes up the bulk of the article and consists of revealing all the information surrounding the advance or discovery. In the development, the main source of the information (institution or scientific journal) is indicated and the antecedents and consequences of the fact told are mentioned..
It constitutes the end or closure of the article and consists of returning to the initial information and emphasizing the most important aspects.
When the disclosure article is authored by the researcher or promoter of the research, it is customary to add two or three lines with their professional data, and sometimes with their email address.
"Drilling at the Dinosaur Impact Site Reveals How Huge Craters Form," Published in Scientific American.
"Experts reveal that the Egyptian mummy believed to be of a falcon is actually a human fetus", published in the magazine National Geographic in Spanish.
"Why Florida Releases 750 Million Genetically Modified Mosquitoes." The article appeared in the British newspaper BBC News / Mundo.
"The reinvention of Hawaii." You can read the article in the magazine The adventure of history.
"A new vision of the Milky Way". Read the information in the magazine Research and Science.
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