Scientific research at Penn and other universities is moving out of the lab and onto the web.
This September, Penn joined a consortium of 34 research universities to launch Futurity.org, an online research magazine highlighting a select sampling of university research and discoveries in a wide range of fields.
According to Vice Provost for Research Steven Fluharty, Futurity is a way for Penn and other universities to “build a bridge” between the academic community and the public.
“The site provides both the casual reader with an interest in science — as well as the seasoned researcher or science journalist — with quick access to a comprehensive and varied body of national research.”
Futurity made its debut in March 2009 after founding schools Duke University, Stanford University and the University of Rochester sought new ways to increase declining interest in university research.
“With the decline of science coverage in the mainstream media, it’s getting tougher and tougher to find ways to get this information to the public,” co-founder Bill Murphy told the Columbia Journalism Review, “so we figured we have to adapt just like everybody else is doing.”
Whereas 20 years ago nearly 150 U.S. newspapers had science sections, today fewer than 20 do, according to the San Jose Mercury News.
Unlike older wire services such as EurekAlert! and Newswise, Futurity’s articles are written with the general public in mind and often simply consist of press releases rewritten for lay readers.
“These articles aren’t just for reporters or students,” said Jordan Reese, Penn’s spokesman for science communications. “We’re writing for curious people.”
Reese, who manages Penn’s Futurity account, asks for one to three submissions per week from researchers and professors, which he edits for readability and posts to the site.
In the last month, Futurity has featured six articles from Penn researchers, covering a variety of topics — from homeless heroin addicts to the mechanics of glass flow to fertility rates in developing countries.
But despite the advantages of this simplified flow of information, some science writers have expressed concerns about the lack of traditional journalistic filtering.
“Any information is better than no information,” former U.S. News & World Report science reporter Charlie Petit told the San Jose Mercury News. “The quality of research university news releases is quite high…. But they are completely absent any skepticism or investigative side.”
In return, Futurity’s founders have made it clear that the site is merely an aggregator, and rewrites content rather than re-reporting it.
“It’s important to be transparent,” said Reese. “It’s still a work in progress, but I think it’s going to be a success.”
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