The trust relationship between science and the digitized publics

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Lars Günther; Professorin Dr. Monika Taddicken
• Subject Area: Communication Sciences
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 456602133

Based on current social trends such as disinformation in algorithm-curated information environments and the structural weakening of traditional professional gatekeepers in combination with the changed logic of trust attribution online, the proposed research project is interested into the trust relationship between science and the digitized public. Up until today, there is by no means empirical clarity as to whether there is actually a loss of public trust in science, and if this loss is affected by trends of increasing digitization. Hence, investigating the trust relationship between science and the digitized public is highly relevant. Although there are global and country-specific representative, quantitative survey data on public perceptions of science, trust relationship are usually only integrated among many other aspects. Thus, the degree of complexity inherent in trust relationships is not adequately represented by these surveys. The enormous heterogeneity of digitized communication is also not sufficiently recognized: Alt-hough scholars agree that the Internet has become the main source of scientific information for some population segments, both the specific content online and patterns of reception of online communication differ vastly and are not reflected in current research studies. In order to be able to analyze trust relationships between science and digitized communication behavior, new research tools are needed.To close this highly relevant research gap, the proposed project is devoted to the trust relationship between science and the digitized publics in Germany.The purpose of the planned research project is to gain insights into the trust relationship be-tween science and the public in modern communication environments at the level of users, content and social structures. By means of five empirical research modules and a module on public relations, the research program is dedicated to the trust relationship between science and the digitized publics and aims to include changed conditions of science communication both theoretically and empirically. Different areas of public science communication will be ana-lyzed and put in relation through the application of a mixed-methods approach.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants