Trust, Integrity, and Science Ethics

Government Science and Innovation in the New Normal

Discussion Paper

Dr. Ravtosh Bal | November 2022

Scientific knowledge improves everyday lives and well-being, provides solutions that address long-term societal and environmental challenges, and drives economic growth. It can guide and inform policy and decision-making leading to more robust public policies and more effective public programs. Trust and integrity are integral to the relationship between science and society. The promise of publicly funded science to deliver benefits to society rests on the integrity of the process of knowledge creation, translation, mobilization, and adaptation and the trust the public has in this process. The lack of a sufficient level of public trust in science can hinder scientific progress and have a detrimental impact on policy influence and civic engagement.