Understanding and Addressing Misinformation about Science

National Academy Of Sciences, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Science provides an important way to understand the world that can inform policy and personal decisions, improve human and ecological health and well-being, and advance knowledge and technological innovation. Misinformation about science, however, can lead to harmful outcomes. Concern about the spread of misinformation and its role in undermining scientific expertise and facts in civic dialogue has grown significantly, especially over the last 5-10 years. Using the consensus study process of the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), NASEM’s Board on Science Education (BOSE) convenes an expert committee to examine and synthesize existing research, and produce a final report that characterizes the nature of the problem of misinformation, identify possible solutions, and offer guidance on how to prioritize interventions. This guidance includes specific attention to how misinformation and existing risk factors and inequities intersect, and the potential impacts these intersections have on the well-being of individuals and communities. The consensus study provides a synthesis of the research literature across a range of disciplines to 1) define the nature and scope of the problem of misinformation about science; 2) provide a framework for holistic understanding of the influences and impacts of misinformation including the range and severity of impacts across communities and the conditions under which it proliferates; 3) examine current interventions to combat misinformation; 4) recommend priority actions that have the greatest potential to reduce harm from misinformation; and 5) prioritize the needs for future research. The final report advances understanding of the phenomenon, and provides balanced, authoritative, evidence-based guidance and a reliable basis for policy decisions and targeted interventions for stakeholders to work toward the common goal of limiting the spread and harm from misinformation in science. These stakeholders include public health leaders and practitioners, journalists and other science communicators, scientists and their professional organizations, leaders of efforts to combat misinformation, media companies, community engagement leaders, policy makers, and researchers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.