Thereby, the focus lies on the relationship between science and the public, on problems of knowledge transfer, and on the question of job-specific communicative requirements. The term Scientific Communication Research (SciCoRe) stands for the aim of bringing together researchers of TU Darmstadt and other universities to conduct interdisciplinary research on the topic of science communication.
With regard to research, it is especially interesting to investigate which forms of knowledge, inward-looking communication, and outward-oriented mediation, media and text formats, data preparation technologies such as data presentation, linguistic-discursive popularization strategies, and political-historical legitimation processes are present in the humanities and social sciences – in contrast to the experimental and techno-sciences. Thereby, a combined theoretical-reflective and application-oriented-analytical perspective promises especially interesting results.
Current work focuses are the question of non-knowledge and uncertainty is treated in science and the media (DFG project 2017-2020 on the bee-/pesticide discourse, DFG project 2011-2013 on non-knowledge in Priority Program 1409: Science and Publicity, DFG project on and participation in Priority Program 1689: Climate Engineering), specifically also on the literacy of junior researchers in the natural sciences when dealing with such uncertainty (Tschira Project 2018-2021) and on knowledge transfer strategies in media formats for children (DFG project 2013-2016).
The research topic is advertising communication in various media and its discursive relevance. Other aspects are the development of linguistic methods in advertising as well as conditions and forms of corporate communication.
The research focus is closely linked to the involvement in the international research cooperation European Cultures in Business Communication (Europäische Kulturen in der Wirtschaftskommunikation, EUKO)". EUKO initiated a book series of the same name (published by Springer VS, Wiesbaden) and organizes annual international conferences at different locations, aiming to bring science and practice together across disciplines and to offer young researchers a platform.
On the one hand, this research focus is related to Comparative Linguistics, based on many years of work regarding the linguistic cultures of the individual European languages. On the other hand, it is closely connected to the first research focus, as linguistic education and promotion is aimed at a speaker’s linguistic sophistication, based on language competence and a morally motivated willingness to cooperate – and, in a professional context, it also addresses aspects of specialist language competence. Therefore, one focus of language culture research lies on the context of language and profession. The habilitation “Die bewusste Entscheidung” (“The conscious decision”) of 2004 is programmatic for this research focus. The honorary work as spokeswoman of the jury “Unwort des Jahres” serves a fundamental interest in language criticism and enlightenment as well.
The main interest lies on discursive patterns and intertextual phenomena in different domains and their function in various discourses. Thus, this core theme is to be seen as a basis of the methodological orientation of the other research focuses.
