Making the invisible visible: the need to map Mexico’s science dissemination ecosystem

Human communication has enabled societies to share, accumulate, and preserve knowledge. Scientific communication and dissemination are part of that tradition, helping people experience the excitement of science, make informed decisions, counter misinformation, and improve well-being (Tomasello, 2008; Bankston & McDowell, 2018).

In Mexico, science dissemination has evolved considerably over the past several decades. Beginning in the second half of the twentieth century, science communication journals, museums, and other public engagement efforts expanded. By the 2000s, the consolidation of the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) helped support new programs and activities, including workshops, science fairs, media initiatives, summer schools, and interactive science museums (Sánchez-Mora et al., 2015).

Today, science dissemination in Mexico continues to grow and mature. Yet important questions remain. Much of the existing research has focused on individual case studies, leaving a broader question unanswered: what does the overall ecosystem of science dissemination in Mexico look like? Understanding that landscape could provide practical insights for strengthening the reach and impact of science engagement efforts across the country (Nepote & Reynoso-Haynes, 2017; Sánchez-Vázquez, 2008).

Where are science dissemination opportunities concentrated?

One of the clearest signals from the preliminary analysis is geographic unevenness. Using publicly available data from Mexico’s Cultural Information System, the early mapping found that science and technology museums are not distributed equally across Mexican states.

The pattern matters because access to science engagement is not only about whether programs exist, but also where they are located and who can realistically reach them. In the preliminary dataset, Ciudad de México had the highest number of science and technology museums, followed by México, Coahuila, and Chihuahua. Other states had only one or two listed museums, and Querétaro had none in this filtered dataset.

The underlying code and data for this preliminary analysis are publicly available in García-Elizalde’s GitHub repository.

The finding raises a practical solutions question: could geographic mapping help decision-makers identify regions that may have been underserved by science dissemination infrastructure? If paired with population size, land area, and measures of marginalization, this kind of analysis could move beyond simply counting institutions and begin to show where additional investment might have the greatest impact.

Are science centers offering similar experiences?

A second question is whether science centers across Mexico provide diverse experiences or whether certain activities are repeated across institutions.

Information available through museum websites and public databases can be used to examine the activities provided by different centers. Mapping the relationship between institutions and activities may reveal which approaches are widely used and where there may be opportunities to develop new formats.

This matters for practitioners because repetition is not always a problem, but it can become limiting if audiences encounter the same kinds of experiences again and again. Understanding which activities are common could help science centers design programs that complement, rather than duplicate, what already exists.

What can be learned from nationally funded projects?

CONACYT has played a central role in supporting science dissemination initiatives in Mexico. Examining the characteristics of funded projects — including the audiences they serve, the activities they use, and the resources allocated to them — could provide a clearer picture of how national investments are translated into public engagement efforts.

These patterns could also generate usable insights for future funding decisions. For example, if funded projects tend to reach certain audiences more often than others, that information could help shape future calls, training programs, or outreach strategies. If certain activities dominate the funded landscape, that could point to opportunities for experimentation.

Could greater visibility strengthen collaboration?

A recurring challenge in many fields is that organizations often work in isolation from one another. Science dissemination is no exception. When practitioners cannot easily see who else is doing similar work, it becomes harder to collaborate, share lessons, or build on existing efforts.

One possible response is the creation of a shared and continuously updated database of science dissemination activities across Mexico. Such a resource could make it easier for practitioners to discover ongoing initiatives, connect with colleagues, and share information about audiences, schedules, and activities.

Greater visibility could also help organizations reach new participants. By making the ecosystem more visible, practitioners may be better positioned to learn from one another, avoid unnecessary duplication, and identify gaps that no single institution can see on its own.

Why understanding the ecosystem matters

The larger lesson is that science dissemination should be understood not only as a collection of individual programs, but as an ecosystem. That ecosystem has geography, infrastructure, funding patterns, activities, audiences, and relationships among practitioners.

Taking a broader view could help governments, institutions, funders, and practitioners ask sharper questions: Where are opportunities concentrated? Which communities may have fewer points of access? Which activities are common, and which are missing? What kinds of programs receive support? Where could collaboration help strengthen the field?

Science dissemination in Mexico has grown considerably over the past several decades. The next challenge is not only to celebrate that growth, but to understand how it is distributed, how it functions, and how it might become more inclusive, connected, and useful to the communities it aims to serve.