Between Science Journalism and Science Dissemination in Ibero-America: A Documentary Review (2011-2021)

Science journalism and science dissemination have gained prominence in recent years. Coupled with an increase in scientific production due to the COVID-19 pandemic, journalistic coverage published more and more content about science, which also occurred on digital social networks, where various scientists shared research or new findings. In this line, this research report aims to show how the boundaries of science journalism and science dissemination have been addressed in recent literature, based on publications in SciELO, Scopus, and EBSCO databases over the last 10 years (2011 to 2021) in the Ibero-American sphere. By analyzing 44 papers and research essays written in English, Portuguese, and Spanish languages, the two variables of this research were examined. Findings suggest some lack of clarity in referencing the concept of science dissemination (in half of the articles its meaning is not explicitly defined), as well as the theoretical similarity established between this and science journalism in various studies. The lack of studies on the reception of science news and the impact of science dissemination is highlighted. The main conclusions show that studies on science journalism increasingly focus on content analysis of messages and interviews with journalists to understand the characteristics of their production; however, consensus on the differences between the two professional activities has not yet been achieved.