La divulgación científica en la universidad desde su contextualización históricaestudio de caso y propuesta de un modelo de divulgación para la Universidad de Murcia

Resumo

Abstract 1. Objectives The principal objective of this PhD thesis is to propose a model of scientific dissemination for the University of Murcia which, as a paradigm, could be extrapolated on its fundamental components to all other universities of our environment. With this model, which was created on the basis of an empirical research on the Unit of Scientific Culture and Innovation (UCC+i), we aim to showcase the efforts to manage the dissemination in this Unit and to suggest the inclusion of various improvements for the development of a more efficient work in the future, based on four variables: the gathered experience from this Department, the university's own mission, the current social needs and other valuable institutional references. 2. Methodology The empirical research carried out has been based on the direct observation of a specific reality: the management of the science dissemination practiced at the University of Murcia through its Unit of Scientific Culture. The proximity and experience of the doctoral student in charge of the UCC+i of the UM, at which she has steadily worked since 2010 and up to the present, has motivated the election of this methodology, which can be considered given its validity as an almost experimental study, and to which qualitative and quantitative analyses have been added. With the results obtained by the case study some mechanisms have been developed to interpret the data and demonstrate the hypothesis of this PhD thesis. 3. Conclusiones The results obtained in the following PhD thesis have led to a comprehension of how the UCC+i of the UM is taking part in the university ecosystem as well as a definition of how its role as an entity for the dissemination of the future science should be. Thus, due to the data collected, it has become evident that the Unit, despite the commendable institutional efforts that have been made towards society, has not yet met the expected targets. Among the reasons which could explain this situation we find: a structure not consolidated, the lack of institutional support, the limitation of its own funding, its dependence on external aid, the absence of permanent staff and, as a consequence of that, the abuse of temporary staff, the insufficient visibility and social acknowledgement, etc. All these circumstances should be reverted as much as it could be possible in order to take the best of all the capacities that this university service offers. With the results that have been obtained from the empirical research, a model of scientific dissemination management has been proposed for the UCC+I of the UM, by means of which it has been described how the work at this Unit should be structured and all its elements, functions and processes have been systematized. With the forementioned model a complete representation of the problem is provided so that the service progresses, improves and reaches better heights of excellence. It is also thought that it could be useful as a prototype to other UCC+i that wish to be established at a national level as such, or to be of help to those at which dissemination activities take place. Among the recommended practices for this service to improve appear, roughly, the extension of the courses of action taken, the balanced existence of staff in the structure in order to be able to carry out the work in good conditions, the need of enough funding to allow the implementation of the tasks, the strengthen of the communication through the adding of techniques that provide the products with quality, the internationalization of the contents disseminated, a greater and more thorough specialized treatment of the scientific information published in journals of impact, the increase in the use of multimedia resources -images, audios and videos- the inclusion of news and/or activities about every and each field of knowledge (which includes social and human sciences), gender equality, the promotion of digital tools, the optimization of the presence in social networks, and the dialogue and participation of society in pursuit of a responsible research an innovation.