The Communication of Science Through Crime Fiction Vanda Symon A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand June 2017 Dedicated to the memory of Jules Kieser 1950 - 2014 ii Abstract Background: Science can be communicated informally through fictional media. Crime fiction in print media has contained elements of forensic science since the first detective stories, for example, Sherlock Holmes. Modern day crime fiction includes visual media, such as the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, as well as print media. All influence and potentially educate readers of the genre. Aim: The aim of the research reported in this thesis was to explore reader expectations and author approaches to science communication through crime fiction, and therefore if forensic science could be communicated through print crime fiction. It did this in three ways. The communication of science through the crime fiction of Ngaio Marsh was analysed first. Then the attitudes of writers of crime fiction towards the science that they included in their novels was investigated. Thirdly, the attitude of readers to the science they encountered while reading crime fiction was surveyed. Methods: Part one: The body of work, research methods and factors that influenced New Zealand crime writer Ngaio Marsh were examined as a case study. This gave a historic perspective to the question can science be communicated through crime fiction, and informed the questions for the subsequent contemporary writer and reader surveys. Part two: Writers of crime fiction were surveyed using an online anonymous online survey to examine their attitudes towards the science they include in their novels. There were 43 responses to this survey. Part three: Readers of crime fiction were surveyed using an anonymous online survey to examine their attitudes towards the forensic science they encountered whilst reading crime novels. There were 1024 responses to this survey. iii Results: The case study of Ngaio Marsh demonstrated the author ensured the accuracy of the science included in her novels. It also indicated she understood the potential flow-on effects of her writing, such as educating criminals and inspiring copycat crime. The author survey indicated most of the authors who included science in their crime fiction researched it thoroughly and ensured that it was accurate in the context of the story. Many reported an ethical obligation to provide accurate information to their readers, but were aware of potential flow-on effects. The reader survey demonstrated that readers expected the science they encountered in crime fiction to be true and accurate, and believed that the writers of crime fiction took care to ensure it was factually correct. Many liked to learn some forensic science (80%), and enjoyed learning about forensic science through reading crime fiction. Conclusion: The combined results of the case study, author survey and reader survey indicated that forensic science can be communicated through crime fiction. This is contingent upon the scientific information being true, accurate, and relevant in the context of the story. The writers of crime fiction felt a responsibility to provide accurate scientific information although some were wary of the potential for that information to be used in the perpetration of a crime. Writers ensured the science they included in their fiction was correct, but were concerned a reader would point out a factual error in their work. Readers enjoyed learning about forensic science but it had to fit within the context of the story. Readers indicated it was important that the forensic science in crime fiction was true and accurate, and believed most writers took care to ensure it was. The readers’ expectation of accuracy and the authors’ sense of obligation to deliver accurate forensic science in their fiction aligned, demonstrating that science could be communicated through crime fiction. iv Preface The thesis title The Communication of Science though Crime Fiction encapsulates the important features of my professional life. When exploring potential choices for a research topic I wanted to find a subject matter that was relevant to my life as a crime writer, pharmacist and communicator. The subject allowed me to examine the communication of science from a previously unexplored angle to add to the body of knowledge in the field. I am a writer of crime fiction, and have had five novels published by Penguin New Zealand. Some have also been translated into German. I write a detective series, and psychological thrillers. As a New Zealander, I admired the crime writing achievements of fellow New Zealander Dame Ngaio Marsh. Over her writing career Marsh wrote 32 Detective Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn novels. She was internationally renowned and her name held up alongside the great British writers Agatha Christie, Marjorie Allingham and Dorothy Sayers. Her works had been studied from a literary and social perspective, but not from the angle of science communication. Marsh was the ideal candidate for a case study on how an author communicated science, how she researched, what weight she placed on accuracy, and what was her awareness or attitude toward the potential flow on effects on her readers. Her novels were written over a span of fifty years, which also provided a tidy time frame for observing if she included new and updated forensic technology in her works. One of the observations I had made while reading Marsh’s works was that she was very self-aware of the effects of her fiction on the reader. This led me to ask two questions: do readers believe the science they read in crime fiction; and are writers concerned that the scientific information they include is accurate? The evidence I found in Marsh’s works indicated that she cared about accuracy, but what of the modern-day writer? Expanding this line of questioning resulted in the development of the two surveys incorporated into this thesis – a survey of the writers of crime fiction, and a survey of the readers of crime fiction. The case study of Ngaio Marsh v contextualised and informed both the writers’ survey and the readers’ survey. By examining the beliefs and expectations of readers, and the attitudes and obligations of writers, the surveys and case study created a platform to enable discussion of the communication of science through popular media and in particular, the medium of crime fiction. vi Acknowledgements This research would not have been possible without the support of my supervisor team. I am indebted to the late Jules Kieser for fueling the fire, encouraging me to undertake a PhD and gathering an amazing group of people to support it. To Jean Fleming and the Centre for Science Communication for setting me on the path as my primary supervisor until her retirement, and to Natalie Medlicott for taking up the mantle of primary supervisor and finding me a home in the School of Pharmacy. Thank you to Sue Heydon for her constancy and for anchoring the historic elements of this thesis. Thanks to Nicola Peart for her enthusiasm as my PhD committee chair and for being a strength when we had difficult times. I am very grateful to Warwick Duncan for stepping into the team after the untimely death of Jules. Thank you to Andrew Grey for his assistance with the statistical analysis involved in this research. To Emma Heydon for tutoring me in the use of the STATA software, and to Ailsa McGregor and James Green for assistance with the correlations. The Ngaio Marsh Trust were very supportive in giving access to Ngaio Marsh House and her research materials. Thank you to Bruce Harding for his advice on Ngaio Marsh and individuals who knew her and to Ngaio Marsh biographer Jo Drayton for her pointers at the beginning of this project. Thanks to Helen Leach for the snippets on Ngaio Marsh that she regularly channeled my way, and to Bill Carter for his information about shearing in New Zealand. Thanks to my readers, Glynny Kieser and Lea Doughty. I am hugely grateful to the University of Otago for their financial support with awarding me a University of Otago Doctoral Scholarship, and to the School of Pharmacy for their support with a departmental award. This PhD would not have been possible without the support of my family, Glenn, Riley and Corey, who have come on this journey with me, and my Mum. Thank you for your patience and understanding! vii Publications and presentations Publications Symon, V., Heydon, S., Medlicott, N. J., Kieser, J., & Fleming, J. S. (2015). Before CSI: Making the Case for a Novel Portrayal of Forensic Science. The International Journal of Science in Society, 6(3-4), 7-15. Publications under review: Symon, V., Heydon, S., Fleming, J.S., Medlicott, N.J. Science in Crime Fiction: Accuracy and the reader experience. Conference Presentations The Sixth International Conference on Science in Society, Vancouver, 2014. Paper presentation: Before CSI: Making the Case for a Novel Portrayal of Forensic Science. Pacific Voices XII, Pacific Postgraduate Symposium, Dunedin 2015. Paper presentation: Before CSI: Making the Case for a Novel Portrayal of Forensic Science. Pacific Voices XIII, Pacific Postgraduate Symposium, Dunedin 2016. Research presentation: Science in Crime Fiction: Accuracy and the Reader Experience. Pacific Voices XIV, Pacific Postgraduate Symposium, Dunedin 2017. Research presentation: Finding your respondents – Snowball sampling in online survey based research: advantages, limitations and practical