Science Communication and Public Trust
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How to Communicate Health in Catastrophic Times
| Georgina Stern | Nature Mental Health | 2026
Health communication during disasters needs trained messengers, clear evidence, and resources that match the scale of public fear, uncertainty, and misinformation.
Synthetic Media, Political Disinformation, and the Erosion of Public Trust
| M. Alamin | Frontiers in Political Science | June 2026
This review examines how deepfakes and synthetic media can weaken public trust by making people less certain about what is real and who is credible.
Data Is Not Enough: From Covid to Measles, America Must Relearn Risk Communication
| The Guardian | The Guardian | June 12, 2026
The article argues that public health communication fails when agencies release data without building trust, explaining uncertainty, and answering public concerns plainly.
Social Communication and Digital Literacy Strategies for Countering Hoaxes
| S. Rohim | Frontiers in Communication | June 2026
Digital literacy and community communication can help people identify misinformation, resist sensational claims, and strengthen public decision-making.
Words Matter: CDC Messaging Can Undermine Public Trust in Vaccines
| Sarah Boden | CIDRAP | April 30, 2026
Survey findings show that changes in official vaccine language can shape how people judge vaccine safety, government credibility, and scientific trustworthiness.
Public Health Communication and the Challenge of Ebola Trust
| AJMC Staff | AJMC | June 2026
Ebola response efforts show why emergency communication must address fear, distrust, conflict, and rumors before they block lifesaving care.
Municipal Risk Communication and Public Trust
| M. Bodas | Risk Analysis | 2026
The study tests how local government messages affect public intentions during emergencies including wildfires, floods, cyberattacks, earthquakes, and epidemics.
Exploring Factors Predicting Scientists' Intentions to Communicate During Emergencies
| L. Li | Frontiers in Communication | May 2026
Researchers are more willing to communicate in crises when they feel capable, morally responsible, and supported by professional norms.
A Quantitative Approach to Estimating Bias and Favoritism in Science Communication
| R. Koushik | Frontiers in Communication | May 2026
This article studies how framing, bias, and perceived favoritism can affect the credibility of science communication in polarized environments.
| S. L. Arxer | Frontiers in Public Health | May 2026
The article argues that public health agencies should distinguish between harmful misinformation and legitimate lived-experience concerns that require respectful engagement.
Global Health Leaders Reaffirm Commitment to Immunization Agenda 2030
| World Health Organization | WHO | May 26, 2026
WHO leaders identified misinformation, vaccine hesitancy, and declining trust as central barriers to immunization progress.
People Should Be Talking About It: Moves to Curtail Vaccine Information Obscure Science
| The Guardian | The Guardian | May 7, 2026
Scientists and doctors warned that suppressing vaccine research and communication can confuse the public and damage confidence in health agencies.
Visible Sources and Invisible Risks: AI-Generated Content in Science Communication
| T. Lin | Journal of Science Communication | 2026
The study examines whether labeling AI-generated science content improves transparency or leaves audiences vulnerable to persuasive misinformation.
Public Engagement with Science: A Practical Guide
| K. T. van den Brande | Journal of Science Communication | 2026
This review highlights public engagement as a practical framework for moving science communication beyond one-way explanation toward participation.
Why Multimodality Matters When Science Is Contested
| J. Metag | Journal of Science Communication | 2026
The essay explains why images, video, animation, and AI-generated visuals matter when public audiences evaluate contested science.
News Media Framing of Gene-Edited Crops
| J. O. Gakpo | Journal of Science Communication | 2026
Media framing of gene-edited crops shows how source choice, terminology, and balance influence public understanding of new technologies.
Scrolling Through Science: How Accurate Is Science Content on Social Media?
| R. Morais | Journal of Science Communication | 2026
The study evaluates science content on short-form platforms and shows how algorithms and sensationalism can elevate misleading claims.
Reshaping Science Communication in a Critical Period of Disinformation and Distrust
| C. Moreno-Castro | Journal of Science Communication | 2026
The commentary argues that science communicators need new approaches for an information environment filled with disinformation, overload, and distrust.
The Politics of MisTrust: Reframing Science Communication in Polarized Brazil
| L. F. F. Neves, V. O. Fagundes and L. Massarani | Journal of Science Communication | 2026
Brazil’s polarized information environment shows why public trust must be built through relationships, participation, and attention to power.
From Facts to Stage: Rethinking Science Communication as Theatrical Performance
| M. van Oudheusden and W. Willems | Journal of Science Communication | 2026
The article suggests that performance, narrative, and public presence can help science communicators connect with audiences without abandoning evidence.
Does Science Communication Have Its Goals Wrong?
| A. Toomey and K. Elliott | Journal of Science Communication | 2026
The authors argue that science communication should focus less on persuading skeptics and more on scientific empowerment and participation.
A Feeling for the Facts
| A. April | Journal of Science Communication | 2026
This study finds that intuitive epistemic identity can shape how people interpret misleading science memes and consensus information.
Understanding How Scientists Communicate Uncertainties
| C. Roney | Humanities and Social Sciences Communications | 2026
Scientists want to explain uncertainty but often worry that public audiences, media systems, and political conflict will misread it.
What Is Unhealthy About Public Health?
| M. Mezza | Humanities and Social Sciences Communications | 2026
The commentary examines how public health uncertainty can be politicized, especially around vaccination, and how that damages trust.
Increasing Trust in Science Through a Do Your Own Research Intervention
| M. Winters | Scientific Reports | 2026
A guided research-reading intervention increased trust in science, public health, and vaccines among participants.
The Mutualistic Symbiosis of Public and Scientific Attention
| Y. Zhou | Scientific Reports | 2025
The article explores how public attention and scientific attention can reinforce one another through engagement and dialogue.
Trust in Scientists and Their Role in Society Across 68 Countries
| V. Cologna et al. | Nature Human Behaviour | 2025
A large international survey found that most people trust scientists and want them to communicate more with the public.
The Complexity of Misinformation Extends Beyond Virus and Warfare Metaphors
| L. Frischlich | Nature Reviews Psychology | 2025
The article warns that simple metaphors can hide the complex social, technical, and emotional systems that spread misinformation.
No Evidence for Causal Effects of Trust in Science on Protection Intentions
| T. Wingen | Communications Psychology | 2025
The study challenges the assumption that simply increasing trust in science automatically changes vaccine or masking intentions.
Exploring How the Public See Scientists
| W. Wang | Humanities and Social Sciences Communications | 2025
A systematic review of public images of scientists shows how stereotypes affect science education, trust, and communication.
The Effect of Government Information Release on Public Protective Behavior
The study finds that government information release influences protective behavior through risk perception and institutional trust.
From Perception to Action in Public Health Emergencies
Public emergency response depends on trust, credibility, uncertainty communication, and how people interpret risk messages.
Developing a Theory of Risk Communication for Biological Events
Confusing and inconsistent risk documents can weaken public trust, especially during biological emergencies.
Scientific Communication and Vaccine Hesitation
The article analyzes how misleading vaccine headlines and distorted science can influence public decision-making.
Social Perception, Trust, and Reluctance Towards Vaccines
| J. V. Caranqui-Encalada | PMC | 2026
This bibliometric and analytic study explores how trust, social perception, and vaccine reluctance interact.
Exploring the Relationship Between Susceptibility to Health Misinformation and Vaccine Attitudes
The article connects digital misinformation susceptibility with trust in science, vaccine beliefs, and public health behavior.
Trust in Science, Knowledge and Risk Perception as Predictors of Vaccine Acceptance
Trust in science, knowledge, and risk perception are studied as predictors of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance.
The Role of Age, Sex and Ethnicity in Vaccine Trust
Vaccine confidence differs across demographic groups, showing why communication strategies need to be specific and equitable.
Public Emotional and Thematic Responses to Major Emergencies
| PMC | PMC | January 20, 2026
Social media responses to global emergencies reveal the emotions, themes, and concerns that emergency communicators must address.
Public Trust, Private Data
The article explains why transparent methods, reliable data systems, and fit-for-purpose information are essential for public health trust.
Open Science, Health Data and Epistemic Harms
Open science can strengthen accountability and public trust, but health data openness must also protect communities from misuse.
Laying the Groundwork and Designing for Trust
Publicly available research protocols can make science more transparent and help build trust before results are published.
Conditional Trust as a Driver of Public Engagement in Korea's Biobank
Public willingness to participate in health research depends on conditional trust, perceived benefits, and contribution to future generations.
Strengthening Pandemic Preparedness in Peru
| A. N. S. Boluarte | PMC | 2026
Peru’s pandemic preparedness lessons include transparent communication, misinformation response, and stronger public health systems.
Benefits of Public Engagement in Research and Barriers to Participation
Public engagement can improve research relevance, strengthen dialogue, and increase trust, but barriers remain for communities and institutions.
Public Health Communication Challenges in Eastern Europe
The review uses crisis and emergency risk communication principles to address public trust and misinformation in Eastern Europe.
A Scoping Review of Factors Affecting Disaster Risk Communication
Effective disaster risk communication requires clear messages, trusted sources, and systems prepared for biological threats.
Effective Communication and Public Engagement Strategies to Improve Vaccine Uptake
Immunologists and scientists can counter misinformation by using inclusive, culturally responsive engagement rather than one-way messaging.
From Hesitancy to Confidence
This vaccine communication collection highlights evidence-based approaches to moving communities from hesitancy toward confidence.
Trust, A Key to Counter Vaccine Hesitancy
Dialogue, trusted messengers, and respect for lived experience are central tools for building vaccine confidence.
Trust in Information Sources and COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake
Vaccine uptake is strongly shaped by which information sources people trust during a health crisis.
Using Social Media to Combat Influenza Vaccine Misinformation
Social media can spread vaccine misinformation, but it can also be used to answer concerns and promote accurate flu vaccine information.
Fake News, Misinformation, Vaccine Hesitancy and Community Engagement
A Ghana study shows how community engagement can help overcome vaccine misinformation and increase acceptance.
Building Trust and Equity in Vaccine Communication Through Community Engagement
Community engagement strategies can improve vaccine communication, trust, and equity by centering local voices.
Understanding Vaccine Hesitancy
| K. Q. Brumbaugh | PMC | 2025
Vaccine hesitancy is influenced by misinformation, political polarization, trust, and whether officials address safety concerns clearly.
Open Science Must Include Effective Results Dissemination
Open science should include returning results to participants and communities, not just making data available to researchers.
| K. E. MacDuffie | PMC | 2025
Sharing study results with participants can close the trust loop between researchers and the public.
Shedding Light on Public Perceptions of Scientists Who Admit Wrongness
| N. D. Evans and A. K. Fetterman | PMC | 2025
Scientists who admit when findings do not replicate may be seen as more trustworthy and intellectually humble.
The WHO Pandemic Agreement's Missing Epistemic Dimension
Pandemic agreements need to address trust, knowledge justice, and how evidence is created and shared during emergencies.
Pandemic Paradox
The COVID-19 crisis transformed health communication, misinformation correction, and public expectations of scientific transparency.
Health Disinformation: A Call to Action
Medical societies are urged to confront health disinformation that damages public trust in vaccines, thrombosis science, and evidence-based care.
Science Education in the Age of Misinformation
| E. Gerges | Frontiers in Education | 2025
Science education must teach students how to evaluate claims, identify pseudoscience, and understand how evidence works.
Dependence on Social Media for Climate Change Information
| M. M. Refaat Moharam | Frontiers in Communication | 2026
Climate communication on social media needs media literacy, trusted messengers, and hope-based action to counter misinformation.
Impact of a Large-Scale Interactive and Immersive Science Engagement Event
| J. M. Tyrrell | Frontiers in Public Health | 2026
Interactive science engagement can build vaccine confidence by replacing one-way messaging with transparency and reciprocity.
Students' Perceptions of Communication in Agricultural Science
| F. Masambuka-Kanchewa | Frontiers in Communication | 2026
Agricultural science communication faces trust challenges when researchers, journalists, and audiences misunderstand each other’s roles.
Exploring the Longitudinal Relationship Between Media Use and Science Attitudes
| D. Arlt | Frontiers in Communication | 2026
Media use, misinformation identification, and news trust interact over time in ways that can influence conspiracy beliefs.
Brazilian Social Media Anti-Vaccine Information Disorder Dataset
| João Phillipe Cardenuto et al. | arXiv | January 26, 2026
A dataset of Brazilian Telegram anti-vaccine posts helps researchers study misinformation networks and design better trust-building interventions.
Working With Large Language Models to Enhance Messaging Effectiveness for Vaccine Confidence
| Lucinda Gullison and Feng Fu | arXiv | April 14, 2025
The study tests whether ChatGPT-assisted vaccine messages can improve persuasive communication for under-resourced public health teams.
Using Conversational AI to Reduce Science Skepticism
| M. J. Hornsey | PubMed | 2026
Early research suggests that conversational AI can sometimes reduce science skepticism and misinformation endorsement when used carefully.
Vaccine Communication: A Critical Review
This review synthesizes vaccine communication research across misinformation, polarization, policy change, and future strategy.
Vaccination Concerns, Issues, and Motivators
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | CDC | April 17, 2026
CDC data on vaccine concerns and motivators can help public health agencies identify information gaps and improve messaging.
FY 2027 CDC Congressional Justification
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | CDC | 2026
CDC’s budget justification emphasizes early warning, data systems, surveillance, laboratory capacity, and public health preparedness.
WHO SAGE Highlights: March 2026
| World Health Organization | WHO | March 18, 2026
WHO vaccine advisers identified misinformation, distorted information, and eroding trust as central immunization challenges.
Infodemic Insights Report January-February 2026
| WHO Regional Office for Africa | WHO AFRO | March 10, 2026
The report tracks health misinformation narratives and warns that they can undermine vaccine confidence beyond single diseases.
Q&A: World Immunization Week 2026
| Bulletin of the World Health Organization | PMC | 2026
The Q&A explains why vaccine communication must address misinformation spreading through social media and close social networks.
Message on Immunization and Misinformation
| World Health Organization | WHO | September 22, 2025
WHO warns that vaccine misinformation can reverse hard-won gains in disease control and immunization coverage.
Immunization for All: Mongolia's Drive to Protect Every Child
| World Health Organization | WHO | September 4, 2025
Mongolia’s HPV campaign shows how misinformation can lower vaccine coverage and why public confidence must be rebuilt locally.
PAHO Releases New Guides to Help Combat Vaccine Misinformation
| Pan American Health Organization | PAHO | October 7, 2025
PAHO’s guides stress that fighting misinformation must be paired with broader trust-building and vaccination access.
WHO Message on Vaccine Confidence
| World Health Organization | WHO | May 21, 2025
WHO calls for leaders, health ministries, faith leaders, and community influencers to communicate clearly and consistently about vaccines.
Journalists to Enhance Expertise in Immunization
| WHO Europe | WHO | February 6, 2025
A WHO-supported journalist training program aims to improve accurate vaccine reporting and public understanding.
Understanding and Addressing Misinformation About Science
| National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine | National Academies Press | 2025
This major report examines the spread, impact, and mitigation of misinformation about science.
Science Misinformation, Its Origins and Impacts, and Mitigation Strategies
| National Academies | National Academies | December 19, 2024
The National Academies called for clearer, easier-to-find science information and multisector action against misinformation.
The Spread of Misinformation About Science
| National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine | National Academies Press | 2025
This chapter explains how platforms, monetization, influence, information voids, and rhetoric help misinformation spread.
Impacts of Misinformation About Science
| National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine | National Academies Press | 2025
Misinformation can reduce science knowledge, trust, interest, and support for public science funding.
The Study of Misinformation About Science
| National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine | National Academies Press | 2025
This chapter reviews research methods and evidence used to understand science misinformation.
Toward Solutions for Science Misinformation
| National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine | National Academies Press | 2025
The chapter discusses interventions, policies, and research needs for reducing harms from science misinformation.
Misinformation Topic Page
| National Academies | National Academies | 2025
The National Academies topic page gathers research and recommendations on misinformation, trust, and accurate science communication.
Public Distrust in Science in Digital Media Environments
| A. Reif | Journal of Science Communication | 2024
Digital platforms create both opportunities and risks for science communication, especially when misinformation shapes public trust.
Science Communication and Misinformation Literacy
| Nature Index | Nature | 2025
Misinformation literacy helps people evaluate scientific claims, recognize misleading content, and support evidence-based decisions.
Trust, Science, and Public Health
| Health Systems Global | Health Systems Global | May 9, 2025
Health systems need trust to support care-seeking, public health programs, and confidence in health institutions.
Communication to Promote and Support Physical Distancing
| Cochrane Review Authors | PMC | 2023
Pandemic distancing communication works best when it builds trust, counters misinformation, and uses two-way communication.
Taking a Shot: Information Frames and Vaccination Advice
The study examines how different scientific information frames affect willingness to vaccinate.
Misinformation and COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy
The relationship between misinformation and vaccine hesitancy is complex and requires more than simple fact correction.
Social Media and Attitudes Toward COVID-19 Vaccination
Social media comments reveal how trust in science, skepticism, and vaccine confidence appear in public conversation.
Facebook's Architecture Undermines Vaccine Misinformation Removal Efforts
| David A. Broniatowski et al. | arXiv | February 4, 2022
The study argues that platform architecture can allow anti-vaccine communities to adapt even after content removal policies.
Vaccination and Trust
| World Health Organization | WHO | 2017
WHO summarizes evidence on building and restoring vaccine confidence before, during, and after crises.
Open Science, Public Engagement and the University
| Pratim Sengupta and Marie-Claire Shanahan | arXiv | February 16, 2017
The paper argues that open science should include public participation in the process of creating scientific knowledge.
Preserving Privacy in the Era of Openness
Open science needs privacy protections so transparency does not harm participants or reduce public trust.
Public Participation in Scientific Research
| National Academies | National Academies | 2018
Citizen science can support learning, participation, and stronger connections between communities and research institutions.
Communicating Science Effectively
| National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine | National Academies Press | 2017
This report outlines a research agenda for improving science communication through audience understanding, evidence, and evaluation.
Trust and Confidence at the Interfaces of the Life Sciences and Society
| National Academies | National Academies Press | 2015
The report explores how public trust in life sciences depends on transparency, engagement, and institutional credibility.
The Science of Science Communication III
| National Academies | National Academies Press | 2018
This volume highlights collaborations, evaluation methods, and capacity-building for better science communication.
Countering Misinformation About Science
| National Academies | National Academies Press | 2024
The report provides a foundation for identifying misinformation harms and designing responses across institutions.
Risk Communication and Community Engagement During Public Health Emergencies
| World Health Organization | WHO | 2025
WHO’s risk communication guidance emphasizes trusted messengers, community feedback, and practical action during emergencies.
Infodemic Management
| World Health Organization | WHO | 2025
Infodemic management focuses on tracking information gaps, listening to communities, and reducing harms from false or misleading claims.
Vaccine Safety Communication
| World Health Organization | WHO | 2025
WHO’s Vaccine Safety Net supports credible vaccine safety information online to help counter misinformation.
CDC Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Manual
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | CDC | 2024
CDC’s CERC manual gives public officials practical principles for communicating quickly, accurately, and empathetically in emergencies.
CDC CERC Psychology of a Crisis
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | CDC | 2024
Crisis communication must account for fear, uncertainty, limited attention, and the public’s need for trusted guidance.
CDC CERC Messages and Audiences
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | CDC | 2024
Emergency messages work better when they are audience-specific, actionable, repeated, and delivered by trusted sources.
CDC Clear Communication Index
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | CDC | 2024
The Clear Communication Index helps agencies test whether public health materials are understandable and usable.
CDC Health Literacy
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | CDC | 2024
Health literacy practices help agencies communicate risks, instructions, and prevention advice in ways people can act on.
FEMA Integrated Public Alert and Warning System
| Federal Emergency Management Agency | FEMA | 2025
IPAWS shows how emergency alert systems depend on fast, trusted, and accessible public messaging.
NOAA Weather-Ready Nation
| National Weather Service | NOAA | 2025
Weather-Ready Nation uses forecasts, warnings, and public education to help people understand and act on weather risks.
Emergency Alerts and Public Warning
| Ready.gov | U.S. Department of Homeland Security | 2025
Public alert systems must explain what is happening, where danger exists, and what protective action people should take.
Open Science and Research Transparency
UNESCO frames open science as a way to make research more accessible, transparent, inclusive, and socially useful.
UNESCO Recommendation on Open Science
The recommendation calls for open access, open data, citizen science, and broader participation in scientific knowledge.
Open Science Framework
| Center for Open Science | Center for Open Science | 2025
OSF helps researchers share protocols, data, materials, and preprints, supporting transparency and reproducibility.
Registered Reports
| Center for Open Science | Center for Open Science | 2025
Registered reports reduce bias by reviewing study questions and methods before results are known.
Retraction Watch Database
| Retraction Watch | Retraction Watch | 2025
Retraction tracking helps the public and researchers see how science corrects itself when errors or misconduct are found.
Science Media Centre Briefings
| Science Media Centre | Science Media Centre | 2025
Expert briefings help journalists cover complex science quickly while reducing exaggeration and misinformation.
The Conversation: Science Communication Model
| The Conversation | The Conversation | 2025
The Conversation pairs academics with editors to make research understandable for public audiences.
EurekAlert Science News Service
| American Association for the Advancement of Science | AAAS | 2025
EurekAlert distributes science news and expert information to journalists, helping research reach public audiences.
AAAS Center for Public Engagement With Science and Technology
AAAS supports scientists in communicating clearly, listening to publics, and engaging communities around science.
SciLine Expert Matching
SciLine connects journalists with scientific experts so public reporting can be more accurate and evidence-based.
Trust in Doctors, Social Support, and COVID-19 Misinformation
| Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | CDC MMWR | January 29, 2026
CDC’s MMWR issue references research linking trusted doctors, social support, and belief in COVID-19 misinformation.
ACIP Meeting Summary: Public Trust and Vaccine Safety
| Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices | CDC | June 25, 2025
ACIP meeting minutes include discussion of open scientific inquiry, public trust, and transparent vaccine safety communication.
ACIP Meeting Summary: Vaccine Misinformation and Public Confidence
| Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices | CDC | September 18, 2025
Public commenters raised concerns that vaccine misinformation and political interference were weakening public confidence.
Implementing the Immunization Agenda 2030
| A. Lindstrand | CDC Stacks | 2024
The framework emphasizes communication and advocacy strategies that promote vaccine confidence and demand.
Preparing the Occupational Safety and Health Workforce for Future Disruptions
| D. L. Caruso | CDC Stacks | 2024
Occupational safety preparedness must include data access, direct worker communication, and misinformation management.
Bolstering National Science and Technology Competitiveness
| National Academies | NCBI Bookshelf | 2026
Experts argue that scientists need to communicate continuously, not only during crises, to become trusted public voices.
