Defining issue-based publics for public engagement: climate change as a case study Helen Featherstone, Emma Weitkamp, Katy Ling and Frank Burnet Understanding your audiences’ perceptions is key to the success of any commu- nication campaign. This research note outlines a pilot study using the Situational Model of publics to segment the broader public. Focus groups were used to study publics’ understandings and perceptions of climate change to determine if this issue-based publics model is relevant to this field. The work shows the potential of this model of publics, but in the case of climate change it may need a minor refinement. 1. Introduction Since the publication of two highly influential reports, Science and Society (House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology, 2000) and Science and the Public (Office of Science and Technology and the Wellcome Trust, 2000), the phrase Public Engagement with Science and Technology (PEST) has come into common usage in the UK. Initially, the term “engagement” was used to cover activities that would encourage the public to be more aware of science in everyday life, while at the same time recognizing its limitations (Department for Trade and Industry, 2000; Office of Science and Technology and the Wellcome Trust, 2000). More recently “engagement” has come to be used for activities which include the public in science pol- icy formation and increase public confidence in science governance and processes (Spedding, 2005a, b). This need for engaging the public with science has been driven by concerns about public support for science (Department for Trade and Industry, 2000; House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology, 2000) and the numbers of students studying science in the UK (Department for Trade and Industry, 2000). However, it is worth highlighting that while PEST activities will benefit the quality of science (Adhya et al., 2006), they also have a part to play in the wider role of encouraging the public to be active citizens and to engage with science as part of the democratic process (Whitmarsh and Keen, 2005). Successful engagement with the public requires scientists and science communicators to understand the public so that appropriate methods can be used. It is well recognized that the public is not homogeneous; there are many different publics. In the PEST field, publics have been defined using a variety of different methods such as demographics or social class status. In two recent UK reports (MORI, 2005; Office of Science and Technology and the Wellcome Trust, 2000) for example, publics are defined in terms of their attitudes to science and technology, but individuals © SAGE Publications ISSN 0963-6625 DOI: 10.1177/0963662507082890 SAGE PUBLICATIONS (www.sagepublications.com) PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE Public Understand. Sci. 18 (2009) 214–228