Year: 2022
Type: article
Abstract: Improved policies for science communication are needed to ensure scientific progress in coming decades. The COVID-19 pandemic illustrated massive gaps in science communication, ranging from masking and social distancing mandates to vaccination requirements. These obstacles compounded the pandemic's tremendous inherent clinical and public health challenges. Although science made immense progress in understanding the virus and designing infection control solutions, society still remains within the pandemic due to flawed understanding, low responsiveness, and widespread misinformation on behalf of the public. Flawed communication plagues national responses not only to the pandemic, but also other long-standing issues such as climate change or nutrition. This Letter proposes a new protocol and framework for effective science communication, designed to educate experts in evidence-based communication, improve public partnership through relatability and modern relevance, and increase empathy and trustworthiness to increase public cooperation. A defined protocol for science communication can ensure that evolving knowledge can tangibly benefit society.
DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2022.131
Authors: Yash B Shah, Robert Glatter, Syra Madad
Language: English
Subfield: Information Systems and Management
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4283583263