Astroseti.org: Online Collaborative Translations for Science Public Outreach
- Paper number
IAC-06-E1.4.11
- Author
Mr. Sergio Alonso, Astroseti.org, Spain
- Coauthor
Mr. Emilio González, Astroseti.org, Spain
- Year
2006
- Abstract
Despite the current advances in every field of science, and particularly in astronomy, astrophysics and astronautics, an important proportion of the world’s population does not receive clear information nor news about the most recent discoveries and developments in these research topics.
There are several reasons for this situation. Among them we can cite the low (and usually not very accurate) coverage that science receives in the media. Additionally, the unfamiliarity of a vast majority of the population with English, which has become the de facto standard for science communication and exchange, creates a broader barrier that many people have to overcome in order to have access to updated science information and news.
Astroseti.org is a non-profit web community comprising more than one hundred persons from around the world, covering a very wide range of ages (16-69), which tries to minimize the language problems in science popularisation for spanish-speaking people. To do so, we carry out several activities, usually making use of Internet technologies:
- Our main task is the translation from English to Spanish of scientific divulgation articles, with special interest in the fields of astronomy, astronautics, astrophysics and astrobiology. These translations are published in our web site ( http://astroseti.org). To date we have translated more than 3000 articles from different sources as Science@NASA, Astrobiology Magazine, NASA Astrobiology Institute, JPL Planet Quest, etc. In some cases the original sources recognize us as their "official translators" and they publish our translations in their sites or create links to our pages.
- Every day we publish science related news taken from different sources. We offer the possibility of making comments about them to our readers, which usually helps to better understand and enrich the provided information.
- We also have web forums and a chat-room that are used to clarify, comment or expose any news, questions and problems about many science topics.
To carry out these activities we have developed some specific web tools that help with the organization and edition of the translations and the communication among the members of Astroseti.org.
Our iniciative has been very successful: since the launch of our web site in 2002, the number of visitors to it has increased exponentially, the number of registered translators has grown to nearly one hundred, and we have been cited in several important mass-media, as El Pais, Diario Clarín, La2, Tele5, Canal9 and Cuatro.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
IAC-06-E1.4.11.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).
To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.