We have now analysed the results of our recent BioNews readership survey. Thank you to the 611 readers who took the time to complete the survey - a record number of respondents, perhaps because this was the first survey readers could complete on our website. Our last readership survey in 2008 led to us making a number of changes to BioNews. We:
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launched a HTML version of our email newsletter to enhance the layout and ease access to interesting items;
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review more books and events than before;
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launched the ability to post comments on articles on the BioNews website;
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secured more advertising and sponsorship, while maintaining BioNews' independence.
This year's results will again prompt discussion about what (if any) further changes we should make to ensure we continue to meet our readers' needs while also making BioNews attractive to advertisers. In the meantime, we'd like to give you the survey's key findings.
First, most readers who responded to the survey feel BioNews is about right in content and length. But, in terms of content, two key issues were flagged. Over a quarter want to see more 'science behind the news' - i.e. fact checking and indepth analysis of science. There are two topics where readers want more coverage: 'Stories from outside UK' and 'Public understanding of science'.
While 552 respondents read BioNews to keep up-to-date on the latest news, we were delighted to see a significant nine per cent also read BioNews because we carry stories found nowhere else.
We weren't surprised to see a range of occupations represented in our survey sample but - more interesting - almost a third are health professionals (in the fields of fertility/genetics), with the next biggest group those in academia (researchers and lecturers), representing 14 per cent.
Finally, with an overwhelming 99 per cent of respondents saying they'd recommend BioNews to a colleague, we look forward to a surge in subscriptions - especially as you can sign up online through this website. So forward a link to the BioNews website today!
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