Report: World Wide Web Sites for the Dissemination of Science to the Public

Abstract

This report examines various World Wide Web sites that are intended to disseminate scientific information to the public, and classifies these sites into three general types: those sites that were originally intended specifically for an audience with a strong science background, but have evolved into sites that include the general public in their overall focus; those sites intended from the outset for a general audience; and those intended from the outset for children. Using descriptions of representative sites, this report discusses some of the characteristics of each category and how well such efforts meet the goal of communicating about science to a populace with increasing access to computers, but not always with the basic or in-depth scientific background to use these sites to their full potential.