Mapping science communication in Portugal: Twelve years of community, practices and traditions

Science communication practices reflect institutional landscapes, cultural settings, and professional communities. In Portugal, SciComPt has played a central role over the past 12 years in shaping the national science communication community. Connecting communicators, researchers, journalists, managers and other professionals, SciComPt was established as a platform for exchange and collective identity-building. Since 2013, its annual congress has served as the main forum in Portugal for sharing practices and research. This study examines the development of science communication in Portugal through a longitudinal analysis of the SciComPt congresses held between 2013 and 2025. Drawing on the books of abstracts, coded by presentation format, disciplinary area, gender composition and institutional affiliation, we identify traditions embedded in the community as well as emerging trends that signal change. The event structure remained largely unchanged, with plenary sessions and long talks continuing to be the most stable traditional formats. Short talks show a more irregular presence, suggesting gradual consolidation. Gender patterns reveal a consistent predominance of women in leading roles, particularly in long talks. Interdisciplinarity is also evident, classified according to the Frascati Manual categories, with social sciences and natural sciences represented, reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of science communication in Portugal. Geographical participation highlights a dual dynamic: while many participants are based in Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra, the congress also attracts strong regional engagement, particularly when hosted outside major urban centres. By examining traditions and evolving trends, this study contributes to understanding how science communication communities form, develop and sustain themselves, using longitudinal evidence from 12 years of national conference activity. The Portuguese case illustrates how national networks like SciComPt support professionalization and visibility while mirroring international changes in the field. Our findings show how such communities maintain coherence while adapting to new challenges, offering lessons and recommendations relevant for those engaged in science communication in other national and regional contexts.