Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1171-4634
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6585-3758
Abstract
Is how science is conducted legitimate? Are scientists trustworthy? Whether the public answers “yes” to these questions is critical for science communicators. We explore how social factors affect public perceptions of the practice of science, and then test how those beliefs relate to views about how scientists engage with the public and policy making. Our results show that political ideology and religiosity affect these views. However, more importantly, respondents’ concerns about the integrity of the scientific process are the strongest predictor of views about scientists’ behavior, providing a focus area for future communication efforts in support of science-based decision making.
Department
Sociology
Publication Date
Winter 12-9-2024
Publication Title
Journal of Science Communication
Publisher
SISSA Medialab
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Recommended Citation
Safford, T. G., & E. H. Whitmore (2024). How should scientists act? Assessing public perceptions of scientists and scientific practices and their implications for science communication. Journal of Science Communication. 23(8) A05. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.23080205.
Comments
This is an open access article published in Journal of Science Communication in 2024, available online: https://doi.org/10.22323/2.23080205