Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Class 1:
Economy
17,48 %
2002
O Estado
Class 2:
Research
17,72 %
2000/ 01/ 02/
A Folha
Class 6:
S,T, & S
22,74 %
Class 3:
Biosafety
Law 1
10,03 %
2000
O Estado
Class 5:
Class 7:
Class 4:
Biosafety
MST
Biosafety
Law 2
7,14 %
2003
Law 3
17,61 %
2003/04/05
O Estado
7,29 %
2001
O Estado
2000/ 01/ 02/
05/ A folha
Figure 1. Transgenic
corpus
classes' distribution.
This table demonstrates that in 2001 and 2002 there was a decrease
of media interest on this topic, and that 2003 was the year with the most
publications. In 2004 and 2005, once again, there was a decrease of inter-
est (although in 2005, only articles published from January to June were
gathered). Later it can be seen how the fluctuation of the number of arti-
cles relates to their content. In Figure 1, the classes obtained through
the lexicographical analysis are described, as well as how the subject of
biosafety was presented throughout the time considered.
Figure 1 shows that the articles' contents were divided into seven
classes created according to the articles' lexical and semantic close-
ness. Each class was named after its specific content. First, the
corpus
was divided into two
sub corpuses
. The first one contains the classes:
“Economy,” “Research,” and “Science, Technology, and Society” and
is defined by the diffusion of information that is related to the economic
aspect or by the popularization of research published by scientific mag-
azines, in a total of 52.92 percent of the entire
corpus
. The second
sub
corpus
comprehends the classes: “Bio-Safety Law 1”; “Bio-Safety Law
2”; “Bio-Safety Law 3”; and “Landless Workers Movement - MST” and
is related to the diffusion of information on the transgenic policy-making
process, as well as to the social factors involved in this matter, in a total
of 42.07 percent of the entire
corpus
.
The class “Economy” focuses on the use of transgenic techniques
mainly in agriculture, by presenting national and worldwide market situ-
ations, but without presenting a favorable or contrary opinion to its use.
The class “Research” presents results of research published by scien-
tific magazines informing the public on what transgenics are, their history
