139 Disinformation and Scientific Integrity: The Bad Stuff Is Easier to Believe

Abstract

Abstract The sensational nature of disinformation attracts millions of readers and attention is a scarce resource. And because it attracts the masses, it can be used to undermine or target science and – ultimately – used for monetary gain. How this is done, in practice, is less understood. This presentation provides insights into how we can better understand how this is done through data analysis. We utilize a dataset of ~95,000 unique online articles to evaluate and explore the various tactics that contribute to the evolving disinformation narratives. We are interested in both the who and the how of (dis)information; what incentivizes it and the behavioral responses to it (in terms of reads, “clicks,” links) over time. We are also interested in how key events can trigger drops or spikes in engagements around particular topics. Distortion of science in online (social media) spaces inappropriately raises the risk profile of good technologies which results in delays in getting socially vital products to the market, or shelved or unrealized innovations, and even the loss of important research through vandalization of field trials. Disinformation has been used to problematize science, influencing public opinion, affecting scientific integrity, and impeding science’s social license to operate. This, in turn, results in policies developed based on disinformation rather than scientific evidence. The disinformation landscape needs to be better understood across science, food production and security, and public health. Key words: disinformation, misinformation, attention economy