Nora Falyuna
I am a linguist, researcher, and science communication specialist. My main interest is in technical languages and the language of science. My doctoral dissertation will focus on pseudoscientific contents (mainly online discourse) from a linguistic aspect in the context of information and knowledge society and new media. My professional aim is to develop science communication methods and models, including the advancement of pedagogical methods. My further main research topics: digital communications, manipulation, disinformation.
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Papers by Nora Falyuna
The Web 2.0 has fundamentally changed the nature of the public sphere and the construction of reality, as
well as the behaviour of communication actors. It has also had an effect on how both scientific and seemingly
scientific but in fact invalid and non-credible contents appear and then spread very rapidly on the internet.
This paper presents a case study of the Flat Earth Believers by analysing the discourse of a Hungarian Facebook
group. The Flat Earth Believers disseminate a scientifically refuted and rejected theory, and are therefore a good
example of online participatory culture: they cultivate their own, alternative “science” on the internet. The
research asks the questions of what lingual, rhetorical and other discursive tools are involved in constructing
the identity of this group. The analysis focuses on two elements of their identity construction: how they oppose other groups, and how they create their own scientific credibility. Based on these, the paper investigates
1) how polarisation plays a role in the construction of their identity and their credibility; and 2) how they use
elements of scientific communication in their discourse. The investigation shows that in the group’s discourse,
anti-scientific attitude is equally representative to the recognition of the authority, credibility and reliability
of science they themselves wish to possess. The aim of this research is to draw attention to the need for new
approaches in science communication in a changing world ever more defined by information technology and
the internet, and to demonstrate that online communication may provide new contexts for studying the public
understanding of science (PUS).
Keywords: conspiracy theory, critical skills, digital communication, digital and media competence, media
awareness, participatory culture, pseudo-science, public understanding of science, science communication,
social media
Pseudo-scientific contents can spread quickly and widely in the ever-changing information and media environment, which makes scientific analysis on identifying these contents particularly valuable. This paper presents the linguisticargumentative characteristics of pseudo-scientific contents spreading on the internet via three case studies (flat earth
theory, anti-vaccination movement and parasitic infections), and offers some analytical tools to identify pseudoscientific and unreliable information. It concludes with a list of critical questions based on the relevant literature and the authors’ own teaching practices.The aim of this paper is to show that the analysis of the linguistic-argumentative
characteristics of pseudo-scientific contents as a means of evaluating information credibility can contribute to the development of critical interpretative skills and communicational-pedagogical methodologies.
Keywords: argumentation techniques, critical skills, deception, digital communication, fake news, media awareness, pseudoscience, science communication , social media, terminology
A folyamatosan változó információs és médiakörnyezetben az áltudományos tartalmak gyorsan és széles körben képesek terjedni, így különösen fontossá válnak azok az elemzések, amelyek támpontot adhatnak e megtévesztő szövegek felismeréséhez. E munkában három esettanulmányon keresztül (laposföld-elmélet, oltásellenesség, parazita fertőzés) mutatjuk be az interneten terjedő áltudományos tartalmak egyes nyelvi-érveléstechnikai jellemzőit, és ezáltal az áltudományosság azonosításához, a megbízhatatlan információk felismeréséhez használható elemzési szempontokat kínálunk. A tanulmány a vonatkozó szakirodalom, illetve a saját oktatói gyakorlatunk alapján összeállított kritikus kérdések listájával zárul. Célunk mindezzel rávilágítani arra, hogy az infor mációhitelesség vizsgálatakor az áltudományos tartalmak nyelvi-érveléstechnikai vonásainak elemzése hozzá járulhat a kritikai készségek fejlesztését célzó kommunikációs-pedagógiai módszertár bővítéséhez.
Since the Internet allows almost unlimited freedom to share content, deceptive and pseudoscientific content can easily spread. However, users may not always be capable of judging the credibility and authority of web content. But there are several linguistic and non-linguistic features, which help to evaulate whether a seemingly scientific or professional source is reliable (Casti 1990, Falyuna 2017, 2018, Hargitai 2012, Sokal 2006, Pigliucci 2010, Veszelszki 2017). This paper presents an analysis that looks at how pseudo-scientific texts make use of terminology and argumentative tools such as statistical data and reference to experts, and how these can become deceptive. The analysis also reflects on the various possibilities the Internet may provide for constructing and strengthening credibility, or uncovering the lack thereof.
A tanulmány áltudományos szövegekből vett példák elemzésén keresztül mutatja be a manipu-láció és a megtévesztés egyes nyelvi jellemzőit, elemeit. Az interneten számos olyan tartalom terjed, amelyek forrását, hitelességét nehéz ellenőrizni, így könnyen manipulálhatják, megté-veszthetik a felhasználókat. Ez több veszélyt is rejt magában, így különösen fontosak azok a kutatások, amelyek az ilyen tartalmakat igyekeznek leleplezni, az eredmények pedig jó alapot adhatnak tananyagok és tréninganyagok kidolgozásához.
The Web 2.0 has fundamentally changed the nature of the public sphere and the construction of reality, as
well as the behaviour of communication actors. It has also had an effect on how both scientific and seemingly
scientific but in fact invalid and non-credible contents appear and then spread very rapidly on the internet.
This paper presents a case study of the Flat Earth Believers by analysing the discourse of a Hungarian Facebook
group. The Flat Earth Believers disseminate a scientifically refuted and rejected theory, and are therefore a good
example of online participatory culture: they cultivate their own, alternative “science” on the internet. The
research asks the questions of what lingual, rhetorical and other discursive tools are involved in constructing
the identity of this group. The analysis focuses on two elements of their identity construction: how they oppose other groups, and how they create their own scientific credibility. Based on these, the paper investigates
1) how polarisation plays a role in the construction of their identity and their credibility; and 2) how they use
elements of scientific communication in their discourse. The investigation shows that in the group’s discourse,
anti-scientific attitude is equally representative to the recognition of the authority, credibility and reliability
of science they themselves wish to possess. The aim of this research is to draw attention to the need for new
approaches in science communication in a changing world ever more defined by information technology and
the internet, and to demonstrate that online communication may provide new contexts for studying the public
understanding of science (PUS).
Keywords: conspiracy theory, critical skills, digital communication, digital and media competence, media
awareness, participatory culture, pseudo-science, public understanding of science, science communication,
social media
Pseudo-scientific contents can spread quickly and widely in the ever-changing information and media environment, which makes scientific analysis on identifying these contents particularly valuable. This paper presents the linguisticargumentative characteristics of pseudo-scientific contents spreading on the internet via three case studies (flat earth
theory, anti-vaccination movement and parasitic infections), and offers some analytical tools to identify pseudoscientific and unreliable information. It concludes with a list of critical questions based on the relevant literature and the authors’ own teaching practices.The aim of this paper is to show that the analysis of the linguistic-argumentative
characteristics of pseudo-scientific contents as a means of evaluating information credibility can contribute to the development of critical interpretative skills and communicational-pedagogical methodologies.
Keywords: argumentation techniques, critical skills, deception, digital communication, fake news, media awareness, pseudoscience, science communication , social media, terminology
A folyamatosan változó információs és médiakörnyezetben az áltudományos tartalmak gyorsan és széles körben képesek terjedni, így különösen fontossá válnak azok az elemzések, amelyek támpontot adhatnak e megtévesztő szövegek felismeréséhez. E munkában három esettanulmányon keresztül (laposföld-elmélet, oltásellenesség, parazita fertőzés) mutatjuk be az interneten terjedő áltudományos tartalmak egyes nyelvi-érveléstechnikai jellemzőit, és ezáltal az áltudományosság azonosításához, a megbízhatatlan információk felismeréséhez használható elemzési szempontokat kínálunk. A tanulmány a vonatkozó szakirodalom, illetve a saját oktatói gyakorlatunk alapján összeállított kritikus kérdések listájával zárul. Célunk mindezzel rávilágítani arra, hogy az infor mációhitelesség vizsgálatakor az áltudományos tartalmak nyelvi-érveléstechnikai vonásainak elemzése hozzá járulhat a kritikai készségek fejlesztését célzó kommunikációs-pedagógiai módszertár bővítéséhez.
Since the Internet allows almost unlimited freedom to share content, deceptive and pseudoscientific content can easily spread. However, users may not always be capable of judging the credibility and authority of web content. But there are several linguistic and non-linguistic features, which help to evaulate whether a seemingly scientific or professional source is reliable (Casti 1990, Falyuna 2017, 2018, Hargitai 2012, Sokal 2006, Pigliucci 2010, Veszelszki 2017). This paper presents an analysis that looks at how pseudo-scientific texts make use of terminology and argumentative tools such as statistical data and reference to experts, and how these can become deceptive. The analysis also reflects on the various possibilities the Internet may provide for constructing and strengthening credibility, or uncovering the lack thereof.
A tanulmány áltudományos szövegekből vett példák elemzésén keresztül mutatja be a manipu-láció és a megtévesztés egyes nyelvi jellemzőit, elemeit. Az interneten számos olyan tartalom terjed, amelyek forrását, hitelességét nehéz ellenőrizni, így könnyen manipulálhatják, megté-veszthetik a felhasználókat. Ez több veszélyt is rejt magában, így különösen fontosak azok a kutatások, amelyek az ilyen tartalmakat igyekeznek leleplezni, az eredmények pedig jó alapot adhatnak tananyagok és tréninganyagok kidolgozásához.