How has the pandemic impacted public scrutiny and confidence in research

1 hr

Anne Kitson

Jonathan Birdwell

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About this video

Science and its practice are undergoing rapid change. As the nature of publication and collaboration evolves, it is becoming more and more challenging for researchers to judge the credibility and trustworthiness of research.

The pandemic has transformed scientific endeavour in a number of ways, giving it greater prominence and recognition, but also creating higher expectations around pace and certainty. Navigating huge quantities of information, finding relevant research, knowing what can be relied upon and tying together quality insights has been made harder for researchers.

This panel event will be focused on a newly launched report entitled ‘Confidence in Research: Researchers in the spotlight’, which includes new, independent research conducted by Economist Impact and supported by Elsevier. Using the report findings as its basis, the discussion will touch on topics including: what gives researchers confidence in research, the role of researchers in society and the challenges they face in adjusting to a public-facing role, as well as their experiences of using social media to communicate their findings.

Ultimately, the event will look to unpack the drivers of confidence in research for researchers, and put forward potential solutions that can support the scientific research community in a way that ultimately improves research integrity and confidence in science.

Please visit the following link to learn more about the ‘Confidence in Research’ initiative: https://www.elsevier.com/connect/confidence-in-research

About the presenters

Anne Kitson

SVP and Managing Director of The Lancet and Cell Press, Elsevier

Anne Kitson is SVP and Managing Director of The Lancet and Cell Press. She is helping to lead Elsevier’s global Confidence in Research initiative.

Based in Oxford, Anne also serves on the Council of the UK Publishers Association and on the board of KeAi, Elsevier’s Joint Venture with China Science Press Media.

Since joining Elsevier in 1997, Anne has held publishing leadership roles in Physical Sciences; Health and Medical Sciences; Life Sciences; Materials Science and Engineering, and Elsevier Advanced Technology.

She has a master's degree in Biochemistry from the University of Oxford.

Jonathan Birdwell

Regional Head (EMEA) of Policy & Insights at Economist Impact

Jonathan Birdwell is Regional Head (EMEA) of Policy & Insights at Economist Impact, the in-house think tank of The Economist Group, publisher of The Economist newspaper. Jonathan led the team investigating the impact of the pandemic on the research community’s confidence in research, supported by Elsevier. Prior to joining The Economist Group, Jonathan was Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, a think tank focused on tackling misinformation and disinformation.