Abstract
Science communication research has developed theories about the way science communication operates in practice, but further investigation is needed to understand how well these models describe the practice of science communication on the ground. This thesis explores the relationship between theoretical models of science communication and the practice of science communication in long-term ecological research sites (LTERs). In particular, this exploratory study focuses on the deficit model, the dialogue model, and the participation model. I conducted semi-structured interviews to understand how science communication practitioners’ views about their work relate to established models of science communication. In particular, I asked about how they view their roles and responsibilities, how they view their audience(s), and how they view ethical considerations of their work. Results suggested that the dialogue model was the most dominant model. The deficit and participation models also appeared, though less frequently. Many practitioners are aware of the shortcomings of deficit model approaches to science communication, but may not have the resources or experience necessary to engage in the intensive public engagement activities of participation model approaches.