Public trust in science has long attracted the attention of scholars. With empirical studies consistently showing that public trust in science remains moderately stable and high on a global scale, there is still limited understanding of the factors that influence trust. As part of the POIESIS project, this study aimed to explore public’s perceptions about three main issues that are believed to influence trust in science: research integrity, public engagement and science communication. Through a qualitative methodology based on Public Deliberative Workshops (PDWs), we involved 169 members of the public across seven European countries—Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom—in discussions about these topics. Participants expressed overall positive attitudes towards science. Isolated cases of misconduct were unlikely to directly affect public trust, yet integrity values in science are seen as key to trust. Additionally, public engagement was seen as a democratic access to science, still concerns were shown about the desired levels of engagement. Regarding communication, the credibility of the sources of information and actors were often mentioned as components for trust. The findings highlight the importance for institutions and individual scientists to align with integrity values, and provide valuable insights for institutions, policymakers, and science communicators seeking to foster greater confidence in science. This chapter provides a glance of the main findings of the PDWs described in Entradas et al. (2023).

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Trust in science,research integrity,science communication

Esta publicação é um output do(s) seguinte(s) projeto(s):

• Probing the impact of integrity and integration on societal trust in science