College - Author 1
College of Liberal Arts
Department - Author 1
Journalism Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Journalism
Date
6-2024
Primary Advisor
Tony Prado, College of Liberal Arts, Journalism Department
Abstract/Summary
This study investigates the comprehensibility and accessibility of scientific papers compared to scientific journalism articles. Fifty articles were tested in pairs of two (one scientific journal article and one corresponding scientific journalism article), and ChatGPT 4.0 was used to create a comprehensibility scale ranging from 0-100%, designed to assess the percentage of people in California over the age of 18 who could understand each article. Each article was evaluated three times using the curated scale, and the results were thoroughly evaluated. The differences in comprehensibility between scientific journalism articles and scientific journalism articles along with the impact of the scientific journalists' educational backgrounds on the articles’ comprehensibility scores were examined. Through the tests, this project assessed the impact of journalism on the scientific process, highlighting how journalistic principles and liberal arts education can enhance the clarity and accessibility of scientific findings.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/joursp/180
Project Data