Defining and Measuring Scientific Misinformation

• Author: Jing Zeng,J. Scott Babwah Brennen,Brian G. Southwell,Ryan Paquin,Vanessa Boudewyns
• Date: 01 March 2022
• DOI: 10.1177/00027162221084709
• Published date: 01 March 2022
• Subject Matter: Misinformation

98 ANNALS, AAPSS, 700, March 2022

DOI: 10.1177/00027162221084709

Defining and

Measuring

Scientific

Misinformation

By

BRIAN G. SOUTHWELL,

J. SCOTT BABWAH

BRENNEN,

RYAN PAQUIN,

VANESSA BOUDEWYNS,

and

JING ZENG

1084709ANN The Annals Of The American AcademyDefining Misinformation

research-article2022

We define scientific misinformation as publicly availa-

ble information that is misleading or deceptive relative

to the best available scientific evidence and that runs

contrary to statements by actors or institutions who

adhere to scientific principles. Scientific misinforma-

tion violates the supposition that claims should be

based on scientific evidence and relevant expertise. As

such, misinformation is observable and measurable, but

research on scientific misinformation to date has often

missed opportunities to clearly articulate units of analy-

sis, to consult with experts, and to look beyond con-

venient sources of misinformation such as social media

content. We outline the ways in which scientific misin-

formation can be thought of as a disorder of public

science, identify its specific types and the ways in which

it can be measured, and argue that researchers and

public actors should do more to connect measurements

of misinformation with measurements of effect.

Keywords: measurement; inaccurate claims; public

science; mass media; social media

Misinformation has attracted considerable

attention as a topic for academic inquiry,

especially in recent years (e.g., Wardle and

Derakhshan 2017; or Southwell, Thorson, and

Sheble 2018). Despite the scores of papers

Brian G. Southwell directs the Science in the Public

Sphere program at RTI International and is a faculty

member at Duke University and the University of

North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

J. Scott Babwah Brennen leads online expression policy

at the Center on Science and Technology Policy at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Ryan Paquin is a senior research scientist in the Patient,

Provider, & Community Engagement program at RTI

International.

Vanessa Boudewyns is a senior research scientist in the

Science in the Public Sphere program at RTI

International.

Jing (Meg) Zeng is a senior research and teaching asso-

ciate at the University of Zurich.

Correspondence: bsouthwell@rti.org