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Sources of doubt: actors, forums, and language of climate change skepticism

Author

Listed:
  • Ferenc Jankó

    (Eötvös Loránd University
    University of Sopron)

  • Áron Drüszler

    (University of Vienna)

  • Borbála Gálos

    (University of Sopron)

  • Norbert Móricz

    (Forest Research Institute)

  • Judit Papp-Vancsó

    (University of Sopron)

  • Ildikó Pieczka

    (Eötvös Loránd University)

  • Rita Pongrácz

    (Eötvös Loránd University)

  • Ervin Rasztovits

    (Forest Research Institute)

  • Zsuzsanna Soósné Dezső

    (Eötvös Loránd University)

  • Orsolya Szabó

    (Forest Research Institute)

Abstract

The paper investigates the reference corpus of a climate change contrarian report. We categorized the journal abstracts according to the endorsement positions on anthropogenic climate change. These results were contrasted by an in-text citation analysis. We focused here on the role of the papers included by the report editors concerning the mainstream claims around climate change. Our results showed moderate differences in the endorsement rates as well as in the sources of contrarian arguments considering the contrarian report in general and the presented journals specifically. These outcomes indicate differences among the journals regarding editorial practice, topic-dependency, and the home field advantage of some authors. Beyond the bibliometric data, our additional rhetorical analysis showed that language and wording are at least as important as the references backing the claims. The well-founded atmosphere of doubt in the climate skeptic report relies on two prevalent factors working together: relevant information accumulated on methodological uncertainties and findings that do not support mainstream knowledge claims (1); and solemn rhetoric supplemented with proper re-contextualization and reinterpretation (2).

Suggested Citation

  • Ferenc Jankó & Áron Drüszler & Borbála Gálos & Norbert Móricz & Judit Papp-Vancsó & Ildikó Pieczka & Rita Pongrácz & Ervin Rasztovits & Zsuzsanna Soósné Dezső & Orsolya Szabó, 2020. "Sources of doubt: actors, forums, and language of climate change skepticism," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 124(3), pages 2251-2277, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:scient:v:124:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s11192-020-03552-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s11192-020-03552-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Myanna Lahsen, 2013. "Climategate: the role of the social sciences," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 119(3), pages 547-558, August.
    2. Srdan Medimorec & Gordon Pennycook, 2015. "The language of denial: text analysis reveals differences in language use between climate change proponents and skeptics," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 133(4), pages 597-605, December.
    3. Prins, Gwyn & Galiana, Isabel & Green, Christopher & Grundmann, Reiner & Korhola, Atte & Laird, Frank & Nordhaus, Ted & Pielke Jnr, Roger & Rayner, Steve & Sarewitz, Daniel & Shellenberger, Michael & , 2010. "The Hartwell Paper: a new direction for climate policy after the crash of 2009," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 27939, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Alexander Michael Petersen & Emmanuel M. Vincent & Anthony LeRoy Westerling, 2019. "Discrepancy in scientific authority and media visibility of climate change scientists and contrarians," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    5. David Frank & Jan Esper & Eduardo Zorita & Rob Wilson, 2010. "A noodle, hockey stick, and spaghetti plate: a perspective on high‐resolution paleoclimatology," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 1(4), pages 507-516, July.
    6. Silke Beck & Martin Mahony, 2018. "The IPCC and the new map of science and politics," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 9(6), November.
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