Articles | Volume 23, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-393-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-393-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Education and communication
| 
22 Jan 2019
Education and communication |
| 22 Jan 2019
| 22 Jan 2019
Flooded by jargon: how the interpretation of water-related terms differs between hydrology experts and the general audience
Gemma J. Venhuizen
Science Communication and Society, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
Delft University of Technology, Delft, the Netherlands
Casper Albers
Heymans Institute for Psychological Research, University of
Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
Cathelijne R. Stoof
Soil Geography and Landscape Group, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 47,
6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands
Ionica Smeets
Science Communication and Society, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
Viewed
Total article views: 5,956 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Cumulative views and downloads
(calculated since 25 Jun 2018)
| HTML | XML | Total | Supplement | BibTeX | EndNote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,221 | 1,603 | 132 | 5,956 | 600 | 185 | 209 |
- HTML: 4,221
- PDF: 1,603
- XML: 132
- Total: 5,956
- Supplement: 600
- BibTeX: 185
- EndNote: 209
Total article views: 4,637 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Cumulative views and downloads
(calculated since 22 Jan 2019)
| HTML | XML | Total | Supplement | BibTeX | EndNote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,409 | 1,105 | 123 | 4,637 | 600 | 166 | 190 |
- HTML: 3,409
- PDF: 1,105
- XML: 123
- Total: 4,637
- Supplement: 600
- BibTeX: 166
- EndNote: 190
Total article views: 1,319 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Cumulative views and downloads
(calculated since 25 Jun 2018)
| HTML | XML | Total | BibTeX | EndNote | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 812 | 498 | 9 | 1,319 | 19 | 19 |
- HTML: 812
- PDF: 498
- XML: 9
- Total: 1,319
- BibTeX: 19
- EndNote: 19
Viewed (geographical distribution)
Total article views: 5,956 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Thereof 5,194 with geography defined
and 762 with unknown origin.
Total article views: 4,637 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Thereof 3,945 with geography defined
and 692 with unknown origin.
Total article views: 1,319 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
Thereof 1,249 with geography defined
and 70 with unknown origin.
| Country | # | Views | % |
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| Country | # | Views | % |
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| Total: | 0 |
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Cited
19 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Effective science communication in the face of water crises: a community perspective on challenges and best practice in HELPING C. Orieschnig et al.
- Soil lacquer peel do-it-yourself: simply capturing beauty C. Stoof et al.
- Rethinking discretization to advance limnology amid the ongoing information explosion B. Kraemer
- Building the information system of the French Critical Zone Observatories network: Theia/OZCAR-IS I. Braud et al.
- What’s in a Name? Patterns, Trends, and Suggestions for Defining Non-Perennial Rivers and Streams M. Busch et al.
- Fracking bad language – hydraulic fracturing and earthquake risks J. Roberts et al.
- Storylines for practice: a visual storytelling approach to strengthen the science-practice interface V. Cortes Arevalo et al.
- Information sharing preferences within buildings: Benefits of cognitive interviewing for enhancing a discrete choice experiment P. Haggar et al.
- The eWaterCycle platform for open and FAIR hydrological collaboration R. Hut et al.
- Editorial: Geoscience communication – planning to make it publishable J. Hillier et al.
- Where should hydrology go? An early-career perspective on the next IAHS Scientific Decade: 2023–2032 T. van Hateren et al.
- Generics in science communication: Misaligned interpretations across laypeople, scientists, and large language models U. Peters et al.
- Emerging terms for reforestation forests J. Stanturf et al.
- Scalable Flux Metrics at the Channel‐Floodplain Interface as Indicators of Lateral Surface Connectivity During Flood Events C. Byrne et al.
- A snapshot sample on how COVID-19 impacted and holds up a mirror to European water education B. Fischer & A. Tatomir
- Unifying Flood-Risk Communication: Empowering Community Leaders Through AI-Enhanced, Contextualized Storytelling M. Zajac et al.
- Seeing science: using graphics to communicate research M. Perra & T. Brinkman
- A hydrologist's guide to open science C. Hall et al.
- Hydrostreamer v1.0 – improved streamflow predictions for local applications from an ensemble of downscaled global runoff products M. Kallio et al.
19 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Effective science communication in the face of water crises: a community perspective on challenges and best practice in HELPING C. Orieschnig et al.
- Soil lacquer peel do-it-yourself: simply capturing beauty C. Stoof et al.
- Rethinking discretization to advance limnology amid the ongoing information explosion B. Kraemer
- Building the information system of the French Critical Zone Observatories network: Theia/OZCAR-IS I. Braud et al.
- What’s in a Name? Patterns, Trends, and Suggestions for Defining Non-Perennial Rivers and Streams M. Busch et al.
- Fracking bad language – hydraulic fracturing and earthquake risks J. Roberts et al.
- Storylines for practice: a visual storytelling approach to strengthen the science-practice interface V. Cortes Arevalo et al.
- Information sharing preferences within buildings: Benefits of cognitive interviewing for enhancing a discrete choice experiment P. Haggar et al.
- The eWaterCycle platform for open and FAIR hydrological collaboration R. Hut et al.
- Editorial: Geoscience communication – planning to make it publishable J. Hillier et al.
- Where should hydrology go? An early-career perspective on the next IAHS Scientific Decade: 2023–2032 T. van Hateren et al.
- Generics in science communication: Misaligned interpretations across laypeople, scientists, and large language models U. Peters et al.
- Emerging terms for reforestation forests J. Stanturf et al.
- Scalable Flux Metrics at the Channel‐Floodplain Interface as Indicators of Lateral Surface Connectivity During Flood Events C. Byrne et al.
- A snapshot sample on how COVID-19 impacted and holds up a mirror to European water education B. Fischer & A. Tatomir
- Unifying Flood-Risk Communication: Empowering Community Leaders Through AI-Enhanced, Contextualized Storytelling M. Zajac et al.
- Seeing science: using graphics to communicate research M. Perra & T. Brinkman
- A hydrologist's guide to open science C. Hall et al.
- Hydrostreamer v1.0 – improved streamflow predictions for local applications from an ensemble of downscaled global runoff products M. Kallio et al.
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 04 May 2026
Short summary
Do experts attach the same meaning as laypeople to terms often used in hydrology such as "river", "flooding" and "downstream"? In this study a survey was completed by 34 experts and 119 laypeople to answer this question. We found that there are some profound differences between experts and laypeople: words like "river" and "river basin" turn out to have a different interpretation between the two groups. However, when using pictures there is much more agreement between the groups.
Do experts attach the same meaning as laypeople to terms often used in hydrology such as...
