Building trust in science: Facilitative rather than restrictive mechanisms

Citation

Meijer A & Webster CW (2021) Building trust in science: Facilitative rather than restrictive mechanisms. Information Polity, 26 (1), pp. 1-2. https://doi.org/10.3233/ip-219001

Abstract
First paragraph: The COVID-19 pandemic has confronted society with a range of issues, dilemmas and challenges. One topic that has attracted considerable attention has been trust in science. Whilst a majority of people have shown great faith in scientific work and have applauded the arrival of a vaccine that has been realized through scientific endeavor, a significant minority has also challenged the opinions of scientists and the reliability of their research findings. This minority argues that scientists and their science is flawed, that it is biased and unsound, and captured by commercial and other interests. This minority has resisted the introduction of governmental measures based on scientific data and in doing so have challenged the legitimacy of government.

Keywords
Public Administration; Sociology and Political Science; Communication; Information Systems

Journal
Information Polity: Volume 26, Issue 1