Unrealistic, outdated ideas that idealize science can set the public up to distrust scientists and the research process. A philosopher of science describes 3 aspects of how science really gets done.
Academic rigor, journalistic flair
Articles on Trust in science
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Researchers want real-world impact. Lawmakers want programs that work. The public wants to benefit from taxpayer-funded research. Building a bridge from academia to legislatures is key to all three.
The phrase ‘research data management’ might make your eyes glaze over, but it’s actually this behind-the-scenes work that allows for large-scale scientific discoveries and collaborations.
Biobanks collect and store large amounts of data that researchers use to conduct a wide range of studies. Making sure participants understand what they’re getting into can help build trust in science.
Public data about individual donors’ political contributions supports the perception that American academia leans left.
It’s tempting to focus on the minority of Americans who hold negative views about scientists. But blaming others for their lack of trust won’t build the relationships that can boost trust.
Your willingness to get a vaccination is tied to your political party. And that may have deadly consequences.
Scientists can be asked to help find solutions during disasters. A study of how archaeologists worked on the problem of looting during the Syrian war offers lessons for science done during crisis.
Republicans are four times as likely as Democrats to say they’re not going to get the COVID-19 vaccine. What’s behind the polarization of who trusts or denies science?
New Zealand’s government seems to trust scientists the most, the US government, the least.
When the scientific establishment gets involved in partisan politics, surveys suggest, there are unintended consequences – especially for conservatives.
Breathless press releases, over-interpreted meta-analyses and other ‘crud factors’ mean that weak research results can get overhyped to the public. It’s time for a cultural change in the social sciences.
Around the world, people are both increasingly dependent on, and distrustful of, digital technology. New research suggests ways this conflict could unfold.
We are observing two new phenomena. On one hand doubt is shed on the quality of entire scientific fields or sub-fields. On the other this doubt is played out in the open, in the media and blogosphere.
The scientific community enjoys one of the highest levels of trust among American institutions. But engaging in the political arena during a contentious election season comes with dangers.
Social scientists investigate when and why liberals and conservatives mistrust science. The apparent split may be more about cultural and personal beliefs than feelings about science itself.
Top contributors
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Ellis N. Brandt Professor of Public Relations, Michigan State University
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Dean of Global Business, The Fletcher School, Tufts University
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Director of External Research for frank, College of Journalism and Communications, University of Florida
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Professor of Psychology, Stetson University
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Associate Professor of Economics, UMass Amherst
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Associate Research Professor of Human Development and Family Studies and Director of the Research Translation Platform, Penn State
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Professor of Philosophy, Wake Forest University
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Professor of Information Sciences, University of Tennessee
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Research Associate in History of Science, Harvard University
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Professor of Political Science, Baruch College, CUNY
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Professor of Political Science, Fordham University
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Assistant Professor of Sociology and Data Science, Purdue University
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Associate Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, UMass Amherst
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Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, University of New Haven
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Assistant Professor of Sociology, University of Virginia
