Researchers and practitioners widely appreciate the need for improved efforts in public engagement with science: to promote science literacy; to strengthen trust in scientific institutions; to usher in science-informed policies and practices; and to improve the responsiveness of scientific research to public interest. Academic scientists are also increasingly called upon to engage in public outreach, including finding employment in public-facing careers.

Elements in Public Engagement with Science is an interdisciplinary exploration of academic research and professional expertise related to interfaces between science and the public. Its aim is to make accessible to a broader audience of academics and public engagement professionals (1) specialized knowledge bearing on public engagement with science, and (2) ground-breaking research in areas of public engagement with science. Public engagement with science is an umbrella term that includes science communication, formal and informal science education, community participation in scientific research, science policy, and any other interfaces between science and the public. This series anticipates that treating these topics alongside one another in an interdisciplinary forum will advance both theory and practice of public engagement with science.