Popular in high schools
129 SDU researchers have answerered a questionnaire survey about the magazine Aktuel Naturvidenskab - thank you!
Most of you have answered that you are familiar with the journal Aktuel Naturvidenskab - but not everybody knows that the magazine is also issued electronically.
Figures from the magazine's webserver has revealed that over a period of just under one year (1/7 2016 - 31/5 2017), more than 300,000 articles were downloaded from the website. The articles are particularly popular at high schools.
Important science dissemination
Dean Martin Zachariasen is pleased that students and researchers from NAT often write for the magazine.
- Aktuel Naturvidenskab plays an important role in science dissemination - especially in high schools. Also it is important that our Faculty is represented in the magazine so that the world around us can learn about our interesting research projects.
Your answers also show that 64% of you receive the magazine here at work, and that 57% of you spend more than 15 minutes reading the magazine.
Assignment packs for high schoools
60% of you think that the magazine has either some or great importance as a medium for Danish research in science and technology.
Not everybody is aware that the magazine's articles can also be retrieved electronically from the website www.aktuelnaturvidenskab.dk. On the website, you can also search for individual articles or topics, and an assignment pack for teaching at high school level is also available.
A study shows that over one year, more than 300,000 articles are downloaded from the website.
The most popular articles
The frequency of articles downloaded increases particularly around the exam period - and correspondingly decreases during vacations.
Here is a list of the top 5 most downloaded articles from the period 1st July - 31st October 2016 (the numbers in brackets indicate the number of downloads):
1. Landbrugspakken – et risikabelt kvælstofeksperiment? Nr. 3/2016 (1233)
2. Den blå biomasse. Nr. 6/2008 (1062)
3. Bakteriers immunsystem åbner døren til en ny æra for biologien. Nr. 1/2016 (1056)
4. Et hav fuld af mikroplastik. Nr. 3/2015 (1054)
5. Pladetektonikken. Nr. 3/2006 (1037)
And here is the corresponding top 5 for the period 1st November 2016 - 31st January 2017:1. Ølbrygning – moderne bioteknologi. Nr. 5/2016 (1938)
2. Vitaminer til hjernen. Nr. 4/2016 (1646)
3. Fosfor fra husdyr truer vandmiljøet. Nr. 2/2003 (1632)
4. Bakteriers immunsystem åbner døren til en ny æra for biologien. Nr. 1/2016 (1570)
5. Et hav fuld af mikroplastik. Nr. 3/2015 (1534)
Articles with a long lifetime
According to the editor of Aktuel Naturvidenskab, Carsten Rabæk Kjaer, the top 5 lists are a good mix of articles from more recent editions and articles that have a few years behind them.
- First and foremost, it shows that the articles in Aktuel Naturvidenskab can have a long lifetime. You could say that to a great extent the articles that have a broad perspective on current topics and also are close to the core material in high schools have the best chance of becoming 'evergreens' in Aktuel Naturvidenskab's archive, he says.
In addition, statistics from Google Analytics show that 18-24-year-olds make up the largest group of visitors to Aktuel Videnskab's website, and that the gender balance favours girls at almost 58% over the last six months.
Interested in contributing?
The magazine is always interested in suggestions for good articles, and if you as a student or researcher wish to contribute, you can find the magazine's author guidelines here. You can write in either Danish or English. NAT's communication department are happy to help - contact Birgitte Svennevig at birs@sdu.dk.