Thursday, November 23, 2006

"Internet as a Resource for News and Information about Science"-PEW INTERNET & AMERICAN LIFE PROJECT Study Report


" 40 million Americans rely on the internet as their primary source for news
and information about science.
  • When asked where they get most of their news and information about science, 20%of all Americans say they turn to the internet for most of their science news. That translates to 40 million adults.
  • This is second only to television, which is cited by 41% of Americans as the placewhere they get most of their science news and information.
  • Newspapers and magazines are each cited by 14% as their main sources for newsand information about science.Internet users with high-speed internet connections at home are equally as likely to cite the internet as TV as the media from which they get most of their science news.
  • One third (33%) of home broadband users say they get most of their science news and information from TV, while 34% say the internet.
  • Among adult home broadband users under the age of 30, the internet is the mostpopular source for science news and information. Some 44% of those between the ages of 18 and 29 say they get most of their science news from the internet and 32% in this group say that television is their main source for science news.Each respondent to this survey received questions on one of three specific scientific topics: stem cell research, climate change, and origins of life on Earth. When asked what source they would use first if they needed to learn more about the topic, here is what they said:
  • 67% of those receiving questions about stem cell research said they would turn to the internet first for information on this topic; 11% said the library.
full report :http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Exploratorium_Science.pdf

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