摘要：One of the emerging issues within the area of science communication is the relationship between scientists, communication practitioners and journalists. This article is based on an empirical study with a group of researchers at INESC Porto. The aim of the study is to identify the reasons that motivate researchers to communicate publicly about their scientific work or the reasons that discourage them to do so. This article will also analyze their perception about the media coverage of their work and of the role of the communication practitioner as a mediator. The results indicate that the majority of researchers are motivated purely and simply by the idea of turning something complex into something comprehensible for different publics. In spite of evoking some less successful experiences, the researchers made a positive assessment of the way journalists have treated their work. The researchers also acknowledge the importance of the communication practitioner’s work for research institutions and consider that this mediator can contribute to an effective improvement of communication in science.
