OBJECTIVE

As I commenced my research, I set out to discover what could be deemed popular in Edmonton for the genre of science print. In order to answer this, it was necessary to define my parameters: namely, what science print entails and what popular would mean in this context. I was also interested in identifying locations where science print can be found in Edmonton and assessing whether the selection varied from one location to the next. In addition to the print and the stores, I wanted to meet with science readers to find out what science print they consume and what role it plays in their lives. This information is essential to my research because it has allowed me to note trends in availability and functionality of science related print items.

HYPOTHESIS

Undeniably, science pervades our lives in myriad ways, and it does so through various forms of media and genre. But what can and should be labeled as "science"? From popular science fiction novels to health tips in women’s magazines, where does one draw the line? For the sake of this narrative, I chose to confine my definition of science print to include non-fiction science books, scientific magazines, and internal science (eg. science-related columns in non-science magazines).

Here is a list of science related magazine titles available in Edmonton: Popular Science; Popular Mechanics; Scientific American; Scientific American Mind; Ideas and Discoveries; Wired; Psychology Today; CBC Health; Archaeology; Astronomy; All About Space; Sky and Telescope; Sky News; National Geographic; Nature; Time.

In the context of science print, I have chosen to use “popular” to refer to that which is consumed most readily by the masses. That being said, making science print palatable for a broad range of readers is no small feat. Due to having an oil-dependent economy that intrinsically opposes scientific advancement in the environmental field, and also given the availability of various alternatives to science print including ebooks, videos, podcasts, and the like, this is especially challenging. Science isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so what may be popular in some circles, is likely not the same among others.

PROCEDURE

Determining what qualifies as "popular" when it comes to science print is certainly a subjective process. Although my findings cannot be plotted on a graph, what I have obtained is a much more human portrait of science readers, visiting and documenting first hand observations at various locations.

First, I set out to do some preliminary research online by checking out science magazine homepages, scoping out general information on what science print entails, and identifying locations where it may be found in Edmonton. From here, I commenced my collection of materials, and took photographs of print item displays. Display, although often overlooked, is a strong indicator of what is popular or, in some cases, what a store wants you to notice and purchase. I also arranged a few interviews with readers and sellers of science print to gather their thoughts.

OBSERVATIONS

As mentioned, these observations are primarily qualitative, but that does not mean they are any less valid. There are many benefits to the ethnographic approach, which in this case included walking around stores, taking pictures, and talking to buyers and sellers. The information that can be extracted from this sort of research is much more personal and is thus suitable for an assessment of local culture. As well, one can argue that reading is a unique process from individual to individual, so it would be dangerous to overgeneralize any findings. Instead, reporting on individual experiences and case studies provides a more accurate account in his case.

What makes Science Popular?

To begin with, I wanted to identify some features that make certain science print items stand out from the crowd and likely contribute to a higher popularity among consumers. From my observations, the following features appear to influence popularity.

Topicality: if a magazine cover features a story that appeals to “the now” or “the self,” it will likely draw more interest than an outdated story with no relevance to the individual.

Authorial Prestige: Well known authors have the advantage of already being popular. In these situations, the author’s name often supersedes the title in terms of prominence on the cover.

A snazzy title/cover: Yes, we all do judge books by their covers.

Price: If the majority of science readers are half as frugal as I am, then affordability definitely plays a role in determining popularity of certain items among readers.

*Science print can add up, but subscriptions to magazines can be a cost effective choice for avid readers. As for books, there are frequently beginners' science reference titles available at Costco, as well as on the clearance shelf at Indigo and Chapters.

Promotion: Print advertisements, social media, conference speakers, classroom advertising, you name it. If it’s being talked about, then it’s more likely to gain popularity.

Characteristics

There are a number of notable characteristics that, in combination, served to differentiate science print from the other print genre I looked at. Here is a list of recurring characteristics that I noted among my collected science print material: the inclusion of diagrams and visuals; an academic or professional tone; concision and accuracy; use of analogy; contemporaneity; longevity (eg. Origin of Species); inclusion of an index, glossary, and/or notes; Inclusion of ads for books, subscriptions, science fairs, and science equipment (in magazines).

Where to Find It

Take a stroll down the magazine aisle of a local Superstore or London Drugs. More often than not, the first thing you’ll observe is a wall of scantily clad, photo-shopped women touting the top 10 secrets to fill in the blank. After pausing to digest the overwhelming onslaught of socially constructed femininity, you may notice a small aggregation of science magazines tucked behind a few popular men’s magazines, rendering the science titles barely visible. Moral of the story: science magazines are certainly available, but they are usually not placed front and center. That said, science readers may need to go out of their way a little more than the average consumer of Cosmo or US Weekly to get their hands on a decent selection depending on what it is that they're looking for.

If you are looking to purchase science magazines in Edmonton, Indigo, Coles, and Chapters carry a much broader selection than your local grocer. Science non-fiction books can also be found in abundance in the non-fiction section generally located towards the back of these stores. Occasionally some bigger titles can even be found in the popular non-fiction displays near the front of the store. At the North Town Indigo I visited, there were shelves designated to science books labeled “Indigo essentials.” A surprising number of science print items can also be found scattered through the sales shelves, particularly condensed layman guides to science.

There is a surprisingly abundant selection of science print at Audrey’s books. Along the back wall, you’ll find an abundance of health, nutrition, and psych print. Closer to the front of the store, along the left wall, there is a shelf conveniently labeled “Science.” Compared with the selection available at larger chain bookstores, Audrey’s offers some really unique items, given that Audrey’s is more local and less commercially oriented.

When it comes to kid-friendly science, the Telus World of Science Gift shop has a fantastic selection of print. Science books are displayed throughout the store, organized thematically for the most part, and are overtly directed at a younger audience compared with most of the science print that populates the science shelves of other bookstores.

Science print can also be borrowed from the Edmonton Public Library as well as academic libraries. However, it may be hit or miss depending on the location and what is in stock. For instance, The Castledowns EPL had only a small selection of science magazines that could be browsed on site. As for science books, I noted that the selection was limited mostly to health and psychology. On the other hand, Stanley Milner EPL had far more print to peruse when it came to science reference books.

For some readers, the variety of science print available in stores is still too limited in Edmonton. That is why some science readers might resort to online book sellers such as Amazon and chapter/indigo online for example. The selection is much vaster and readers can ensure they are getting the up to date, reliable science materials that they are looking for. Subscription magazine services are a great opportunity for avid readers of particular science magazines to exercise frugality and ensure that they’re staying on top of the latest science news.

One of the biggest challenges I faced while completing my research was deciding what to classify under the category of “popular science.” Flipping through a stash of non-scientific magazines, I would occasionally happen upon a scientific feature article or a section dedicated to technology. More often however, I uncovered scattered fragments that hinted towards a slight degree of scientific dimensionality. Interestingly enough, although they contained science, the information was not presented in a scientific context. Instead, the “science” was usually commercially or economically oriented.

In women’s magazines especially, it was evident that “health science” was frequently employed for the sake of product advertising, wherein the validity and accuracy of the science was questionable. Unfortunately, the gender framing of science suggests that there are assumptions being made about female naiveté and interest in real science.

Print vs Digital

Based on my discussions with readers and my own experiences, I came up with a list of pros for both digital and print reading, particularly when it comes to science-related materials.

In favour of print, we have the ease and familiarity of turning pages in comparison to using a scroll bar or clicker, nostalgia for traditional print, conduciveness to closer reading with fewer distractions or technical disorientation, and the ability to engage in preferred study and reading habits such as adding notes, highlighting and tabbing (although some digital platforms allow you to do this as well). On the other hand, digital reading has the advantages of recency and instantaneity, environmental consciousness, media interconnectivity (eg. sharing links or passages on Facebook), quicker dissemination of information, and simply more variety to choose from. I found this interesting given the fact that our research focuses solely on print materials. However, the platform a reader uses can be indicative of when and where they read and what function it serves for them in their life.

RESULTS

While doing some additional research, I came across some statistics in “BNC Research Canadian Book Market 2013” that seemed to reflect my own conclusions about popular science in Edmonton quite accurately. According to their findings, 2.02% of all unit sales were health and fitness related (which to some extent can be considered scientific), followed by psychology at 0.77%. Something about physical and mental health seems to be gripping the attention of readers compared with other branches of science. Where little science print can be found, you’ll at the very least find health and diet print; it is often the most easy to find in terms of display. General science print represents 0.51% and medical only 0.21%. Interestingly, I found I was more likely to see medical related magazines at the grocery store till than I was to find psychology, however medical can also overlap with health science quite significantly.

Interviews

I conducted 3 interviews in spring 2015, with University of Alberta History Undergraduate student Lucas Nowosiad and Engineering student Gabriella Wahl (via email), and University of Alberta Professor Dr. Roy Jensen. I asked them all a very similar set of questions which consisted of what they thought could be considered popular science in Edmonton, what they read, why they read it and where they find it, as well as who they think the intended audience of most science print is.

What is popular science in Edmonton?

• “Environmental. There’s nothing else I can think of off the top of my head. We hear people like Schindler from the U of A complaining about the oil sands/tar sands; the environmental aspects of it. I guess oil and gas actually would be the biggest thing, but it’s not presented from an environmental perspective; it’s presented from a commercial perspective, but there is definitely science associated with it. There is a fledgling environmental movement wind/solar power society, but they really haven’t taken off because there’s a significant oppression, whether it’s covert or overt, or intentional, there’s an oppression of anything that isn’t oil and gas.”

– Dr. Roy Jensen, U of A, Chemistry Professor

• “The way I’ll construct this point is from the commonalities I’m seeing among science texts that are more current. I would say Exo planets, and the Mars expedition, are popular right now… When it comes to environment, the whole environmental activism in Alberta has been something of a problem to some, maybe something good to others, but the discourse is there. It’s been a hot topic especially with Bitumen. I think just because of the nature of our economy, environmental science is the one thing we would probably converse about most. I don’t know if it would be every Albertan, but within Alberta, within Edmonton, it would probably be environmental sciences; that’s where it would fit in with our economic structures and with the denials of our government.”

– Lucas Nowosiad, U of A, History Undergraduate student

• “I think the biggest themes in Edmonton for science texts are the oil and gas industry because of the oil sands as well the environmental sciences because it provides solutions to the growing demand and concerns with the oil sands and by-products of those processes.”

– Gabriella Wahl, U of A, Engineering Undergraduate student

What science print do you read/ Where do you find them?

• “Discover magazine, and books associated with science – Schwarcz – whatever people might recommend, I’’ll go find it in a library”

Where?

• “Online, amazon … there’s a lot of collectors that take published literature and put it into like a digest type of thing… summary, abstracts… news Google for science articles like science daily happens to be one of them, and so I check that website on a regular basis and if something pops up it provides me with a consumer-friendly dumbed-down science version of the article and if I want to read more I can go read the original article”

– Dr. Roy Jensen, U of A, Chemistry Professor

• “I’m a big follower of Dr. Michio Kaku, I read his “Physics of The Future” and various other futuristic works of his, and if National Geographic kind of counts, most of the kind of mainstream stuff. Definitely Dr. Kaku’s stuff mostly. He takes science and applies it to the future, not just the here and now. it really conforms to the historical narrative that I study as well of post modern thought and looking forward to better the future and not just the here and now. It really destroys the capitalist narrative.”

Where?

• “Chapters or a library –Typically chapters. Science magazines… you can find them anywhere but they’re definitely more numerous on the stack [at Chapters/indigo]

– Lucas Nowosiad, U of A, History Undergraduate student

• “I currently read the National Geographic Magazine, but I do not have a subscription to the magazine. I purchase the magazines at large chain book stores such as Indigo”

– Gabriella Wahl, University of Alberta Engineering Undergraduate Student

Why do you read science?

• “It’s a lot more interesting… it’s a lot more crazy than what writers can come up with the stuff you see in science magazines is completely out of this world but its actually truthful too. So that’s the most interesting aspect I find… learn about the world and learn how crazy the world is.”

– Dr. Roy Jensen, U of A, Chemistry Professor

• “It’s kind of part of the philosophy that I follow, its not just to narrow yourself down to one study but to broaden it to understand other things. Everybody likes it, I mean like science fiction, but it’s good to know what you don’t know. I’m not going to sit down and do physics, and math is just not my thing, but it’s important that we all educate ourselves some how in what is going on in the science world or how science is helping us. There’s an interest in how it operates and ultimately in just being a holistic person.”

– Lucas Nowosiad, U of A, History Undergraduate student

• “I read science texts because I have a general interest in the latest ideas and findings in regards to discoveries of astronomical or environmental sciences. Because I have been learning about the applied sciences for two years, being able to make connections between materials learnt in the classroom and the current and most recent discoveries is a great prospect.”

– Gabriella Wahl, University of Alberta Engineering Undergraduate Student

Who is the intended audience of most science print?

• "The more literate populace, generally...potentially – I’m not gonna put an age associated with it, but people who are somewhat interested in what’s going on in the world around them that want a rudimentary idea/understanding of how science affects the world."

– Dr. Roy Jensen, U of A, Chemistry Professor

• “I guess it depends on the text, but from the ones that I’ve read personally, and being a history student (so not that scientifically inclined) I think it appeals to people that want to become holistic or maybe they’re a hobbyist or perhaps they’re nerds, if I may… I think these texts that I read are meant to appeal to a general reader who is of modest academic background, so perhaps not some high school student that just graduated and is working in the trades, although not to generalize but, typically it looks for people of a modest academic background”

– Lucas Nowosiad, U of A, Undergrad, History Major

• “I think the audience the science text tries to reach depends on the medium through which it is delivered. If it is found on social media, I think it is mainly trying to address the general public. But if it was found on a scholarly website or in a university library then it would most likely be catered to people who are interested in science and what it has to offer intellectually.”

– Gabriella Wahl, University of Alberta Engineering Undergraduate Student

ANALYSIS

It seems that environmental concerns and associated industries are at the forefront of discussion, but the question remains as to whether or not this theme is popular in print. Much of what is available in Edmonton is not necessarily directed at Edmontonians, given that popular science magazine writers and science book authors have vast readerships in other locations. Furthermore, we may be more inclined to read something if it is placed right in front of us. For example, for many grocery store shoppers, health science would be more likely to fall into their hands than quantum physics. Even when it comes to large chain book stores, the popularity does not solely depend on the consumer, but on the distributor as well. The type of print items available to how those items are displayed can influence what gets read and what doesn’t.

CONCLUSION

Science may not always be a top seller among Edmontonian readerships, but regardless of whether or not science print enjoys wide spread popularity, it is certainly available. Occasionally a new Malcolm Gladwell book or a magazine featuring mental or physical health will sneak through the cracks and find its way into the popular reading realm. At the end of the day, some readers may simply pick up what’s in front of their noses, but that doesn’t stop other readers from seeking out exactly what they’re looking for in nondescript non-fiction shelves or online!

Last Updated: Jan 7, 2017