In recent years, social media platforms have become vital in disseminating research to the general public. These platforms can inform and influence public health policies and stimulate public debates on topics such as sustainability, artificial intelligence, and cloning technologies. However, they can also become a vehicle for spreading science misinformation (and even disinformation) when/if they are misinterpreted, especially when less well-trained journalists and social media influencers produce ‘click-bait’ pieces for gain. The issue becomes more problematic when the general educated public has limited understanding of the processes and norms of knowledge production and when they might not even know what is meant by e.g. ‘not peer reviewed,’ ‘preprint’ or ‘conflict of interest.’ There were also instances where inconclusive or retracted research articles became headlines – a well-known example of significant negative consequences is the false reporting of the MMR vaccine as a cause of autism. The approach of this project is shaped by social media research and science communication. 

Project aim:

• Science literacy refers to the “familiarity with the enterprise and practice of science.” This project aims to address issues related to science-related misinformation by enhancing the understanding of academic integrity and ethical practices in academic research and publications.

Objectives:

• Examine the understanding of mechanisms underlying the spread of science misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms
• Inquire into the ‘level’ of science literacy of undergraduate and postgraduate students
• Develop a science literacy competence framework that can be incorporated in the curriculum and media literacy programmes

Expected outcomes:

• Science literacy to be incorporated in the curriculum and/or media information literacy programmes
• Increased science literacy equips students with knowledge that can demystify and debunk science misinformation and disinformation in headlines shared in traditional and social media
• Increased science literacy leads to enhanced understanding of academic integrity and ethical practice

The project team consists of two Masters and two PhD students, who played leading roles in the research design and focus group discussions. Their knowledge about and experience on social media platforms were crucial in the selection of examples on social media platforms, as well as facilitating conversations with Gen Z students. 

The focus group discussions involve undergraduate students from different colleges in UCD. Their background and insights are invaluable. Their participation was voluntary, and most importantly, they were regarded as partners in the research process to co-create the knowledge base for media and science literacy in the future. 

Results

The key deliverables are:

• Project video - https://youtu.be/sXR2AmFGAX0
• Project description and findings – https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14268743
• Science Literacy Competence Framework  – https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14332871

In addition, publications to be published in international channels

• Accepted - ‘Science Literacy in the Post-Truth Era’, Association of Internet Researchers Conference (AoIR2024), October 30 – November 2, Sheffield, UK (Panel: Misinformation, Conspiracy, & Politicisation in Digitally Mediated Science)
• Submitted – ‘Algorithm Awareness and Apathy: An Exploratory Study of Gen Z’s Media Literacy’
• In preparation – ‘Scrolling Away from Science: Why Science Literacy is More Important Than Ever’ 

Resources

• Howell, E. L., & Brossard, D. (2021). (Mis)informed about what? What it means to be a science-literate citizen in a digital world. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(15), e1912436117. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1912436117
• Osborne, J., & Pimentel, D. (2022). Science, misinformation, and the role of education. Science, 378(6617), 246–248. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abq8093
• Scheufele, D. A., Hoffman, A. J., Neeley, L., & Reid, C. M. (2021). Misinformation about science in the public sphere. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(15), e2104068118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2104068118

See also:

• "Science is Neither Red nor Blue" by Marcia McNutt, President of the United States National Academies of Sciences - https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu4907
• "Teach Philosophy of Science" by H. Holden Thorp, Editor-in-Chief, Science journals - https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adp7153