Profiling the geoscience community: exploring patterns of science communication and public engagement Joana Rodrigues, Cecília Castro, Elsa Costa e Silva, Diamantino Insua Pereira Journal of Science Communication, 2025 This research investigates how members of the geoscience community in Portugal perceive and engage in science communication, identifying distinct patterns and practitioner profiles. Statistical analysis and a clustering algorithm were used to identify communication patterns based on practitioners' communication goals, target audiences, training, and self-efficacy. The results align with expected patterns but provide new empirical evidence of the relationship between communication goals and audience targeting, offering specific data for the geoscience community.
Science Communication Practices in UNESCO Global Geoparks: A Benchmark Analysis Joana Rodrigues, Elsa Costa e Silva, Diamantino Ínsua Pereira Geosciences Switzerland, 2025 UNESCO Global Geoparks address global environmental challenges and advance Sustainable Development Goals. As renowned institutions in geoscience communication, they are instrumental in raising awareness and promoting sustainable practices. However, there has been a notable lack of systematic research in this area. This study aims to fill this gap by benchmarking science communication strategies employed by Geoparks, identifying best practices and critical factors and offering data-driven insights to enhance management and strategic planning. The key findings of this study underscore the necessity for improved engagement and the adoption of more interactive and inclusive communication approaches. The research also reveals a significant disparity between current practices and contemporary trends in science communication.
Identifying Optimal Cell Size for Geodiversity Quantitative Assessment with Richness, Diversity and Evenness Indices Catarina Lopes, Zara Teixeira, Diamantino I. Pereira, Paulo Pereira Resources, 2023 The importance of quantitatively assessing the spatial patterns of geodiversity, and their intrinsic relationship with biodiversity and the ecosystem services provided to society, has been signalized by several authors, due to the relevance of this information in territorial management, the planning of environmental and conservation strategies. Within geodiversity method assessments, the grid system is the most widely used GIS spatial approach to calculate a geodiversity index. Preferred for its simplicity, it implies the fundamental decision of choosing the scale of the analysis, defined by the selection of cell size, determinant for the accuracy and correctness of the final maps. Although this topic has been occasionally approached by some authors within geodiversity assessments, there is no formal procedure for cell size selection. This is a key issue, and, in the scope of the present work, an empirical procedure to select optimal cell size(s) was tested on the national scale in Portugal, in lithology and geomorphology datasets. The quantitative method based on geodiversity indices was applied, using richness, diversity and evenness indices, in a hexagonal analytical grid, through eight cell dimensions. Several descriptive statistical parameters were analyzed, with particular emphasis on dispersion statistical measures. Optimal cell size corresponded to the minimum cell size, once dispersion values were significatively reduced or stabilized, and distributions from evenness and diversity indices were closer to symmetry, which provided more accurate results and higher spatial differentiation, although the final decision should always consider the main purposes of the analysis.
Natural monuments of viana do castelo: Designation and valuation processes Comunicacoes Geologicas, 2014
Quaternary coastal deposits of NW Portugal (Minho – Neiva area): Characterization, dating and paleoenvironmental interpretation Comunicacoes Geologicas, 2014
Combinated LM-SEM method for palynomorphs study Comunicacoes Geologicas, 2009
Floodplain sediments of the Tagus River, Portugal: assessing avulsion, channel migration and human impact Sedimentary Processes Environments and Basins A Tribute to Peter Friend, 2009
