Narratives - Representation of structured ways of human thinking and acting on and in the worls. Stories are one tool used by humans to impose meaning on life and the world.

New technologies - an innovatory or improved product or process that not only brings new benefits but may also lead to harmful effects.

Normal ageing biological process driven by genetic mechanisms and regulated by life experiences and lifestyle choices.

Nuclear Suppliers Group - Group of 40 supplier states which consult on nuclear and related exports of nuclear materials and equipment in an effort to ensure non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

Observation - The process by means of which someone engages in the act of 'seeing'(but depending on the context, also hearing, smelling or touching) in a manner that is shaped by coding orientations.

Participatory approaches to consultation - these seek to active involvement of stakeholders in the communication process e.g citizen juries.

Pedagogic discourse - A discourse that recontextualises other discourses for the purposes of their pedagogic or 'educational' recontextualisation and communication.

Precautionary principle - 'An approach to the introduction of new technologies where they are closely trialled and monitored as it is assumed there will be harmful effects until proven otherwise.

Privatisation - the economic process of transferring publicy-owned goods and services to private ownership.

Psychometric paradigm - methodological approach that analyses risk perception from a psychological perspective, drawing on the study of a variety of characteristics or dimenstions which influence people's risk perceptions.

Public understading of science - proces by which expert knowledge is disseminated, transferred or negotiated with the lay publics concerned by the research endeavour.

Radioactive waste - any waste that emits energy as rays, waves or streams of energetic particles. Radioactive materials are often mixed with hazardous waste, usually from nuclear reactors, research institutions or hospitals.

Re/presentation - The process whereby something that is absent is made present by way of some form of communication. The forward slash indicates that in zoos, this process is made complex by the fact that animal in effect 'present' themselves, even as they are represented.

Recontextualisation - The process by means of which knowledge generated in a primary context (eg scientific research) is reformulated and thereby transformed so that it can be communicated in a new context (eg school, museum, zoo).

Research culture - common research practices and values.

Responsive regulation - flexible approach to regulatory implementation based on close co-operation between regulatory agencies and civil society that takes into account bith the circumstances and the capacities of regulated agents and is focused on providing assistance with compliance and self-regulation within an agreed framework of escalating responses to non-compliance.

Rights-based approach - a conceptual framework using human rights as a normative base from which to approach, monitor, and assess, cultural, social, economic and political development.

Risk - Usually identified as hazard multiplied by exposure. Both hazard and exposure must be identifiable in order to ascertain the risk to a population group.

Rural sociology - the study of rural societies, defined in political, economic and community cohesion terms as well as geographic location.

Scientist citizen - a concept that recognises that a scientist has a dual role as an expert in a particular field and as a member of the public (or a citizen).

Semi-structured interviews - a qualitative method for gathering information from individuals or small groups, in ways analugous to normal conversaiotn. Interviews are partially structured by a written interview guide or list of questions which are flexible but still focused.

Social amplification of risk theory - theory concerned with the process by which a risk event is either amplified or attenuated. The amplification process starts with a hazard event, and the relevant aspects are selected and interpreted by individuals or groups according to their perceptions.

Social learning - learning achieved through activities in a social setting rather than learning derived from external influences such as teachers.

Stakeholders - group of individuals or organisations with an interest in a process.

Statuory consultee - legally defined persons for consultation as set out in Section 11 of the 1995 Environment Act.

STELLA software - software program that provides a set of modelling tools that can be used to simulate the nonlinear relationships that take place in complex dynamical systems.

System dynamics - methodology for studying and managing complex non-linear dynamical systems.

Systems thinking - a way of understanding a specific situation by examining both the parts and the connections between the parts of that situation rather than just the parts.