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Animal Ethics Biosafety Human Research Ethics Research Integrity

Communicating Scientific Uncertainty in an Age of COVID-19: An Investigation into the Use of Preprints by Digital Media Outlets (Papers Alice Fleerackers, et al | January 2021)

Posted by Dr Gary Allen in Human Research Ethics, Research Integrity on February 21, 2021
Keywords: Beneficence, Institutional responsibilities, Medical research, Protection for participants, Research results, Researcher responsibilities

The Linked Original Item was Posted On January, 3 2021

TV screen surrounded by COVID cells with the word "UNCERTAINTY" on the screen

ABSTRACT

Given the tendency of the media to overhype any scientific claim, it is more essential than ever that researchers and their institutions make clear the degree of uncertainty in any research outputs.

In this article, we investigate the surge in use of COVID-19-related preprints by media outlets. Journalists are a main source of reliable public health information during crises and, until recently, journalists have been reluctant to cover preprints because of the associated scientific uncertainty. Yet, uploads of COVID-19 preprints and their uptake by online media have outstripped that of preprints about any other topic. Using an innovative approach combining altmetrics methods with content analysis, we identified a diversity of outlets covering COVID-19-related preprints during the early months of the pandemic, including specialist medical news outlets, traditional news media outlets, and aggregators. We found a ubiquity of hyperlinks as citations and a multiplicity of framing devices for highlighting the scientific uncertainty associated with COVID-19 preprints. These devices were rarely used consistently (e.g., mentioning that the study was a preprint, unreviewed, preliminary, and/or in need of verification). About half of the stories we analyzed contained framing devices emphasizing uncertainty. Outlets in our sample were much less likely to identify the research they mentioned as preprint research, compared to identifying it as simply “research.” This work has significant implications for public health communication within the changing media landscape. While current best practices in public health risk communication promote identifying and promoting trustworthy sources of information, the uptake of preprint research by online media presents new challenges. At the same time, it provides new opportunities for fostering greater awareness of the scientific uncertainty associated with health research findings.

Fleerackers, A., Riedlinger, M., Moorhead, L., Ahmed, R. & Alperin, JP. (2021) Communicating Scientific Uncertainty in an Age of COVID-19: An Investigation into the Use of Preprints by Digital Media Outlets. Health Communication. DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2020.1864892
Publisher: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10410236.2020.1864892

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Research ethics review during a time of pandemic

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