Confidence in science: How to ensure sustainable and trustworthy channels of scientific information? 01/06/2023
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On June 15th, 2023, Science|Business will convene a selected group of senior figures and experts from across the European and international R&I spectrum to discuss the confidence of citizens in science and research, and how to ensure sustainable and trustworthy channels of scientific information. Manuel Heitor is one of the guest participants of this by-invitation only event organised in partnership with Elsevier.
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the growing importance of science for people worldwide. Citizens are now more eager than ever to comprehend the impact of scientific advancements on their health and, fundamentally, to determine the trustworthiness of their information sources. Unfortunately, the proliferation of information, whether accurate or inaccurate, supported by evidence or mere speculation, has surged on major public communication platforms, largely due to the influence of advanced AI tools. Consequently, confidence in science has been eroded. Recognizing this issue, the European Union (EU) has prioritized the topic within its research and innovation policy agenda. Horizon Europe, for instance, features a dedicated work programme aimed at strengthening the European Research Area. It emphasizes the creation of an environment where the outcomes of research and innovation are comprehensible, trusted by well-informed citizens, and beneficial to society as a whole.
Concurrently, open science has emerged as a key research focus during the Swedish Presidency of the EU. While the topic has been under discussion for the past decade, Sweden is now accelerating progress, considering open science and open access as crucial elements in addressing challenges such as the climate crisis and the repercussions of the conflict in Ukraine. The EU Council, in its conclusions adopted on May 23rd, identified the advancement of open science as encompassing "high-quality, transparent, open, trustworthy, and equitable scholarly publishing." In a world that increasingly demands public access to scientific information, the reliability of research and data sources becomes paramount. To achieve this objective, multiple stakeholders, including researchers, publishers, funders, research infrastructure, policy makers, and the media, all have vital roles to play. These principles, coupled with research integrity, should be applied throughout the research ecosystem, creating a safe and dependable space for citizens to access scientific information.
On the occasion of the visit in Brussels of Elsevier’s CEO Kumsal Bayazit, Science|Business organizes this closed-door hybrid roundtable to tackle a series of questions such as:
- As a citizen, how to establish what is credible in the flow of science-related information?
- How should social media and AI-based platforms be regulated to help build confidence in science among citizens?
- How to make sure policy directions such as the Singapore Statement on research integrity, or the recent Cape Town Statement for fairness, equity and diversity in research are implemented across the globe? What level of coordination between the EU, its member states and other countries around the world can realistically be achieved and how?
- How to ensure only verified and quality scientific knowledge informs the policy making process?
- How can the research assessment reform contribute to engage researchers and other stakeholders in the collective effort to strengthen confidence in research?
- Will open science and the reform of research assessment create a fairer culture, that will boost the researcher’s confidence in the overall research ecosystem?
