Study title

Since 2014, Wissenschaft im Dialog has been using the science barometer to collect population-representative data on the attitudes of German citizens towards science and research on an annual basis. The aim is to contribute to a fact-based discourse on the relationship between science and the public and targeted science communication by collecting, processing and communicating the results. The questionnaire of the science barometer contains corresponding questions on cognitive attitudes such as interest and information and the respondents´ information behaviour on topics from science and research. In addition, evaluative attitudes will be collected on issues such as trust, the assessment of the benefits and risks of science and the social role of research. The questions are aimed at general attitudes towards science and research. In individual cases, questions are also devoted to specific research areas or technologies or, alternately, to current developments in science and the public. The science barometers 2014 to 2016 were sponsored by the Philip Morris Foundation, the science barometers 2017 to 2019 by the Robert Bosch Foundation. Topics: 1. Interest, information behaviour and being informed about science and research: interest in politics, sport, economics and finance as well as miscellaneous topics such as celebrities or human fates; frequency of dealing with science in selected contexts (conversations with friends and family, attending events, reading articles on scientific topics in print media, television programmes, radio programmes and on the Internet); sources of information on the Internet about science and research (e.g. social networks, blogs or online forums, Wikipedia, etc.); frequency of selected activities in social networks; visits to institutions or events related to science in the last twelve months (e.g. science museum, zoo or aquarium): personal reasons for engaging in science and research; agreement with statements on science and...