Science, Policy, and Public Impact

COVID-19 and the consequential events of 2020 have propelled science into the public consciousness. Over the past year, as scientists around the world searched for COVID-19 treatments and a pandemic-halting vaccine, the study of public health, immunology, psychology, and many other areas of research have received increased levels of attention.

Annual Reviews has created this review article collection to explore the important relationship between science and the public. In this interdisciplinary article collection, our experts consider the impact of evidence on policy, the role of scientists in shaping public opinion, and the need for trust in science.

Our Science, Policy, and Public Impact collection is freely available to download and share with colleagues and students. Download 22 review articles from 10 Annual Reviews journals, addressing:

• Science, Research, and Public Attitudes
• Evidentiary Influence on Policy
• Trust in Research
• Data, Replication, and Reproducibility

Online Discussion: How Has the Pandemic Influenced Public Attitudes Toward Science?
Knowable Magazine, the digital magazine published by Annual Reviews, further investigates how public attitudes towards science have changed over the past year. Watch speakers Cary Funk (Pew Research Center) and Harvey Fineberg (Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation) discuss the role that group identity plays in shaping views, and the lessons that scientists may learn from public opinions forged during the pandemic.