Institutionalization of public communication of science in Mexico: an exploratory study in research centers

Abstract

This study examines the degree of institutionalization of Public Communication of Science (PCS) in Mexico based on a sample of 83 research centers belonging to the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), and the Public Research Centers coordinated by the Secretariat of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation (SECIHTI). Using a structured questionnaire grounded in the multilevel model proposed by Entradas and Bauer, the study identifies budgetary inequalities, the predominance of one-way activities, and partial progress in policies and professionalization. The findings place the Mexican case within a broader Latin American process of transition towards the consolidation of PCS as a strategic function of the scientific system.