Lo scienziato civico: una tipologia

This study aims to contribute to our understanding of the factors and processes that lead scientists to engage in public communication. Using a large and national sample of academics from all Italian public universities and from all disci- plines, this study identifies two different kinds of scientific communication activi- ties and a typology of civic scientist on the basis of intensity and quality of engage- ment. Moreover, the study identifies some factors – discipline, age, gender and sen- iority – that contribute to define the different kinds of civic scientist and explain why for analysing the public engagement of academics, it is necessary to consider the different logic of actors involved in every kind of activities of communication, particularly in mass media activities and in local community activities.