Converting Science News for the Web

Hypertext possibilities

Although both magazines have done an admirable job of adapting their print product for the web in some ways, they have not fully developed their sites to reflect the capabilities of the web. Science News offers a link for subscribers wishing to receive the magazine in an audio format, yet the website does not utilize any audio elements. Neither site provides interactive illustrations or diagrams.

Because many of these elements require longer downloading time than straight text, this may have been a conscious decision to simplify the site. Yet the explanation of complex scientific concepts could certainly benefit from some of these technologies in some instances.

Both sites have gone beyond traditional print offerings in some ways, though. Science News provides special, extended treatment of topics with links to past stories that would not be feasible to include in the print version. It also offers a list of references and sources about the story topics that limited print space would make impossible to include.

New Scientist provides professional support for scientists in the forms of a job search feature. Instead of leafing through the many pages of job advertisements offered in the print version, an individual can search by keyword, area of science, type of job (e.g. academia vs. industry), or location of job. These features may encourage some to visit these sites even if they are not print subscribers, thus increasing the readership of the magazines.

New technologies and styles of presenting information will surely continue to arise as time goes on, presenting information designers with new choices and tradeoffs. New navigation schemas may emerge, replacing traditional modes and forcing websites to adapt.

In the present, however, both New Scientist and Science News have made effective choices for adapting their print counterparts for the web. The similarities and differences in their choices illustrate the diverse ways that information designers can successfully approach their task. As bandwidth and connection speeds continue to increase, perhaps designers of science news sites will make choices that more fully utilize the capabilities of the web.

Abstract, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Works Cited

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