Majority of Americans say they are more apt to trust research when the data is openly available % ofU.S. adults who say when they hear each of the following, they trust scientific research findings
What boosts public trust in scientific research findings? Most say it’s making data openly available. A 57% majority of Americans say they trust scientific research findings more when the data is openly available to the public. And about half of the U.S. public (52%) say they are more likely to trust research that has been independently reviewed.
The question of who funds the research is also consequential for how people think about scientific research. A 58% majority say they have lower trust when research is funded by an industry group. By comparison, about half of Americans (48%) say government funding for research has no particular effect on how much they trust the findings; 28% say this decreases their trust and 23% say it increases their trust.
Majority of Americans say they are more apt to trust  | research when the data is openly available  | % ofU.S. adults who say when they hear each of the following, they trust  | scientific research findings  | Makes no  | Less  | More  | difference  | available Data is openly the  | 8%  | 57%  | 34%  | available to the public  | Reviewed by an  | 10  | 52  | 37  | independent committee  | federal Funded government by the  | 23  | 48  | 28  | federal government by  | industry Funded by an  | 58  | 10  | 32  | industry by group  | Note: Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.  | Source: Survey conducted Jan. 7-21, 2019  | "Trust and Mistrust in Americans Views of Scientific Experts"  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 