Due to the immediate needs of scientific information about COVID-19, more people are finding scientific information online, especially through social media, than ever before. Although the COVID-19 pandemic has compelled both laypeople and scientists to use online social media to communicate, there is still a large gap in how scientists relay this knowledge and how laypeople understand and interpret this information. The proposed project aims to examine the best practices and lessons learned from COVID-19-related scientists who interact with the public using two-way communication on social media.
This project examines and identifies research-based strategies to help scientists improve two-way online science communication using social media to better inform, engage, and inspire the broader population to strengthen support of America’s global leadership in science.