The covers of the series Elements in Public Engagement with Science feature a cyanotype by Anna Atkins,
​English botanist whose book of cyanotypes is considered to be the first book of photographic images. 

Several of my current research projects explore the relationships science bears to public life. Science and the Public (2024), in the Elements in Philosophy of Science series with Cambridge University Press, aims to solidify science and the public as an area of focus in philosophy of science. This short book considers broadly science's place in public life and how science might better discharge its obligations to society. Public Engagement with Science: Defining the Project (2025, with Melissa Jacquart) initiates a new, interdisciplinary series also with Cambridge University Press, Elements in Public Engagement with Science. This volume characterizes public engagement with science and suggests ways in which academics can begin or expand their public engagement efforts. These and forthcoming projects are associated with my involvement in the University of Cincinnati Center for Public Engagement with Science. 

Science is a product of society: in its funding, its participation, and its application. This Element explores the relationship between science and the public with resources from philosophy of science. Chapter 1 defines the questions about science's relationship to the public and outlines science's obligation to the public. Chapter 2 considers the Vienna Circle as a case study in how science, philosophy, and the public can relate very differently than they do at present. Chapter 3 examines how public understanding of science can have a variety of different goals and introduces philosophical discussions of scientific understanding as a resource. Chapter 4 addresses public trust in science, including responding to science denial. Chapter 5 considers how expanded participation in science can contribute to public trust of science. Finally, Chapter 6 casts light on how science might discharge its obligations to the public.

“Science and the Public,” an invited post for the APA blog Public Philosophy (2025), also engages with some themes from this Element. 

Reviews
​Public Understanding of Science, Thomas Dickins
Journal for General Philosophy of Science, Ann-Christin Fischer
Journal for Technology Assessment in Theory and Practice, Dana Mahr
Metascience, Cristina Lagido
Journal of Science Communication, Laida Arbizu Aguirre

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'Public engagement with science' is gaining currency as the framing for outreach activities related to science. However, knowledge bearing on the topic is siloed in a variety of disciplines, and public engagement activities often are conducted without support from relevant theory or familiarity with related activities.

​This first Element in the Public Engagement with Science series sets the stage for the series by delineating the target of investigation, establishing the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration and community partnerships for effective public engagement with science, examining the roles public engagement with science plays in academic institutions, and providing initial resources about the theory and practice of public engagement with science. It will be useful to academics who would like to conduct or study public engagement with science, but also to public engagement practitioners as a window into relevant academic knowledge and cultures. A PDF of this Element is freely available open access on Cambridge Core.

“What is Public Engagement with Science?,” an invited post for the blog Epistemic Injustice in Healthcare (2025), discusses some themes from this Element. 

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Video Introduction to Public Engagement with Science: Defining the Project

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